NejiTen: Pages of Our Story
by Nejitenness
Summary: Chapter 24: "Father, will Aunt be pleased?" "Of course. She always liked sunflowers."
1. Our Daughter

_**Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.**_

* * *

"Where are you going today?"

Hyuuga Kiyomi, a fifteen years old girl lifted her head to look at her father's face with disbelief. "You know where I go _**everyday,**_ Otou-san."

Tenten who was standing before the sink to wash the dishes couldn't hide her grin. Like father like daughter, she thought for the umpteenth time in her life since Kiyomi had come to their small family. The two were stubborn, logical, and stoic at the same level. Neither was better at those personalities than the other.

Being a daughter of Hyuuga Neji, it was no wonder that Kiyomi inherited his Hyuuga-ness. She had all-seeing pearl eyes that could be intimidating – like Neji's – but on several occasions could also show tenderness – like Hinata's. Other than her slender body and dark brown hair that she had got from her mother, Kiyomi really looked like her father. Her features were smooth but firm just as Neji's – her pale skin, her nose, her eyelashes, and her jaw. Everyone said she was a girl version of Neji, but Neji always noticed that she had Tenten's lips and smiled the way Tenten smiled. Brightly and breathtakingly. Unfortunately, the girl also inherited his _**coldness**_ \- she didn't smile as often as his wife.

"I found out something yesterday." Neji said, observing his daughter's face with his magnificent eyes.

Kiyomi seemed uninterested. "What is it?"

The Hyuuga prodigy narrowed his eyes a bit. "Lee told me that you'd been training with that Nara boy. Just the two of you."

He didn't miss the startled look in Kiyomi's face as if he caught her doing something unacceptable. "He's my teammate. Of course I train with him."

"Why don't you also train with your other teammate? And your sensei, too?"

"You know how Lee-sensei is," Kiyomi reasoned, making Neji arched an eyebrow. "And I just can't stand Kotaro sometimes. He's too loud." She added, mentioning her other teammate.

"Aa. But you've never said anything about that all this time."

"I'm a Chuunin now, Otou-san," Kiyomi half groaned. "It's not like I'm hiding something important."

Tenten glanced at her daughter. "What did Lee do to you that you stopped training with him?"

"We didn't stop, actually," Kiyomi answered. "We still train regularly when there is no mission – the four of us. But Lee-sensei is apparently focusing on Kotaro now. You know he can't use ninjutsu too." Before Tenten and Neji could respond, Kiyomi shrugged. "Seriously, it's not a problem for me and Yoshio. We prefer it that way. Besides, it's not like Lee-sensei is abandoning us two. He still keeps an eye on us."

Neji let out his monosyllabic answer. "Hn."

Tenten chuckled. "Your sensei isn't that bad, you know? He loves you since you were born."

"I know, Okaa-san," Kiyomi sighed. "But he drains my energy most of the time."

Tenten almost giggled at this. If Neji and Kiyomi's personalities weren't enough to prove that they were very much alike, there was still another precise thing: their _**annoyance and impatience**_ towards Lee. However, Tenten knew that Lee was one of few people the two could trust with their lives, no matter how weird he was.

"So, you and Nara decided to train alone?" Neji lifted a cup of tea to his mouth.

"Yeah," Kiyomi shrugged again. "Why not? I mean, he possesses a unique fighting style. I've always wanted to fight any shinobi with any typical jutsu."

"You sure that's the only reason?"

Kiyomi looked up from her plate, his pale eyes widening. "Otou-san!"

"Hn?" Neji merely raised his elegant brow again. "I'm just asking you. Is that wrong?"

"No, of course not," Kiyomi quickly answered. A little too quickly, her parents noticed. "That's all, I guess."

Neji once again studied her face with a frown. It wasn't that he hated Nara Yoshio, the son of his old comrades - Nara Shikamaru and Temari. The boy wasn't as lazy as Shikamaru was nor as fierce as Temari was, and Neji knew he was a good shinobi. It was just that he disliked the idea of his beautiful daughter being _**too **_close with a boy.

He'd been thinking about that since Kiyomi's academy days, since she'd gotten fanboys. Yes, _**fanboys.**_

Never once had Neji thought his daughter would experience what he had many years ago. However, as well as him who'd ignored his fangirls, Kiyomi had never paid attention to the boys chasing after her. Having a dream like Tenten's, she'd focused herself on being a strong kunoichi, and all she'd done was study and practice everyday. Being a girl hadn't made her less intelligent than her father – she'd been a genius for her age. That had made those boys admire her even more – other than her undeniable beauty.

Tenten had laughed the first time they'd found out about those boys in Kiyomi's class that had always whistled at her everytime she'd passed school hallway. Or had stared at her in awe whenever she'd practiced some ninjutsu in front of the class. Being a _**cold**_ girl, Kiyomi had never really cared about them.

Neji hadn't laughed, but growing worried instead. These thoughts had been swirling in his mind: How if Kiyomi couldn't protect herself? No matter how strong she was, she was still a girl, _**his**_ little, precious and only girl. How if those boys who seemed interested in her hurt her?

Tenten had scolded him, saying he'd overthought about that matter. _**You're being too overprotective, **_she'd said._** She's **_my_** daughter, Neji, and she's not weak just because she is a girl. Could you please stop underestimating female?**_

Knowing very well that Tenten had never appreciated someone who'd discriminated girls and boys, he'd not argued. He himself hadn't known what had made him feel that way. Maybe because he'd promised Hyuuga Hizashi, his late father, that he would be a good father for his child?

But the fact was, the more Kiyomi grew older, the more he felt overprotective towards her. Now she'd passed the Chuunin exam. She possessed Byakugan and other Hyuuga techniques as well as Tenten's accuracy – even though he knew she was still learning as there were many mistakes he could find in her fighting ways. Still, Neji was proud of her. One thing bothered him though: he never spoiled his daughter all this time and he believed she could protect herself, yet he couldn't erase this strange feeling. Especially when he knew she had a close _**boy**_ friend.

"What is it, Otou-san?"

Neji blinked, barely realizing that he'd been staring at Kiyomi for a quite long time. "Nothing."

Kiyomi seemed hesitant at first, but she looked into her father's eyes. "Otou-san, I know you have something to tell me."

The Hyuuga male crossed his arms. Maybe it would be good to talk to her now, he thought. "How close are you and that Nara boy?"

It was Kiyomi's turn to blink. "What?"

"You heard me. Just answer," Neji said in a I'm-a-dad-and-you-shouldn't-question-me tone.

It was a rare sight to see Kiyomi unsure, not knowing what to say. Meanwhile, Tenten stopped from her washing business just to watch the two with interest. "Otou-san, it is… Why do you ask?"

"Is there any reason why I shouldn't know?" Neji asked flatly.

"It's not that!" Kiyomi replied. "Well, Yoshio is my teammate. We respect and help each other to be better. Lee-sensei has taught us about teamwork and how important it is to trust each other."

Neji nodded. "And?"

"And what?" Kiyomi was visibly fidgeting with her fingers as if she was nervous. "He's a good friend. That's all." There was a silence until she spoke again. "Otou-san, why does my closeness with my _**own **_friend have to bother you?"

Her father didn't answer and closed his eyes as if collecting his mind. Tenten appeared beside him with a grin, pouring some tea into his empty cup. "Never mind it, Kiyomi. Your father is just like that. He doesn't want something bad happens to you."

Kiyomi's smooth eyebrows rose. "Something bad? You think Yoshio would even think of hurting me?"

Neji revealed his pale eyes again. Ignoring his daughter's question, he then spoke. "I believe you are strong enough to protect yourself. However, I won't forgive anyone who dares to hurt you – physically or emotionally. Remember that."

Tenten noticed the seriousness in her husband's tone. Well, maybe there was never a time when Hyuuga Neji wasn't serious.

The Hyuuga girl looked like she was about to say something, but hesitated. She glanced at her mother, then her father, and narrowed her beautiful eyes. "I think there's nothing wrong with having a _**guy**_ best friend. You two were teammates. And if I remember correctly, you always trained together when you were young without Lee-sensei and Gai-sensei! Did it ever bother anyone?"

Tenten laughed. "You're right, there's nothing wrong with it actually," she said, earning a glare from her husband. "But don't say **_when we were young_**, Kiyomi. We're not that old."

Kiyomi didn't respond.

Her mother smiled widely before sitting in the chair beside Neji. "Are you and Yoshio going to follow our path? I mean, until marriage?"

At this, two pairs of pale eyes widened - one in embarrassment and one in horror. An uncharacteristic shade of pink made its way to Kiyomi's pale cheeks, and Tenten couldn't stop herself from chuckling. "Okaa-san!"

"Tenten…" Neji groaned, unwanted scenarios running in his head.

"What?" Tenten asked innocently. "Calm down. I was joking."

Kiyomi just stared at her mother in irritation even though blush was still visible in her pretty face. She looked like she was ready to snap – very Neji-like – but nothing came out of her mouth. Good thing Neji had taught her Hyuuga etiquettes, including behaviors towards parents.

The Weapon Mistress laughed again. "But it wouldn't be impossible if there really is _**something **_going on between you two."

Kiyomi immediately stood up. She bowed to her parents before muttering her excuse. "I'm going now. Thanks for the food."

It didn't take long for her to leave the kitchen.

Neji still glared at his wife, and Tenten only raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Neji. You know how it feels to be young."

Crossing his arms, Neji looked away. "You're being dramatic. They might _**not**_ fall in love with each other."

"Probably not, _**now**_. But they still have a long road, Neji. You even had the courage to confess your feelings for me after _**seven**_ years we had trained together, remember?"

"Tenten," Neji almost growled. "Don't remind me about that."

Tenten couldn't count how many laughs she'd let out today. "You really are an overprotective father – and an overprotective husband too, as long as I remember. And you are obviously overthinking. You shouldn't worry about her, Neji. She is a genius."

He still refused to look at her, so Tenten caught his chin and tilted his head towards her. "Or you are afraid a man would take her away from you someday. Huh?"

"Is that wrong?" He muttered. "She's my only child."

Tenten smiled. "I know. But as I said before, her road is still very long. Until the time comes, she will be alright. She's strong, _**physically and emotionally.**_"

Slowly a frown on Neji's handsome face disappeared. Maybe she's right, he thought. Kiyomi would always be fine. Being a teenager didn't make her distance herself from him anyway. She was very close to _**him **_and always would be. That meant she would always be safe, as long as she had him by her side to support her.

"Well, I think it would be nice to have Shikamaru and Temari as our son in law's parents. After all, I fought Temari in Chuunin exam. It never crossed my mind that our children would meet like this! And Shikamaru is also one of your closest friends, so…"

"Tenten!"

* * *

_**A/N: Kiyomi means pure beauty, which I think suits her the best.**_

_**I've always loved the idea of Neji having a daughter! It would be sweet to see our cold and serious prodigy interacting with his daughter. Even though I made his daughter here as a teenager who is as cold as him, I think this piece is cute. I might write a sequel for this chapter in this oneshot collection.**_

_**Anyone would like to have a **_hot_** dad like Neji? Me!**_


	2. Happy Birthday, Neji-kun!

_**Special birthday fic for our dear Neji-kun! It makes me happy that the 3rd **__**chapter is written special for his birthday on July 3rd. Happy birthday, Neji!**_

_**To me, Neji is still alive. Even if Kishimoto decided to let him **_dead forever in the manga,_** Neji **_is_** still my hero, my moodbooster, my hot but cold prodigy, my everything (or Tenten's?) Why should we stop writing about them?**_

* * *

It was July 3rd if he wasn't mistaken. He'd unintentionally glanced at the calendar when he'd put on his Jounin vest this morning.

He almost never remembered his birthday before the day came, thus he'd just realized that it was his birthday that very morning. He'd been busy with missions lately and no one had mentioned it.

Neji never appreciated birthday so much, for he'd lost his parents long ago. The only people who always remembered his birthday were Hiashi, Hinata, his sensei, and his teammates. Hiashi and Hinata usually bought him a present. His team would also have a special dinner together. It was that simple, without party or birthday cake, only with very few special people, and Neji always found he liked it that way.

And today, on his nineteenth birthday, Neji hadn't seen those people above yet. Maybe Hinata was on a mission, and Hiashi had an important business whatever it was. Also, it was his free day and he'd not planned a training session with Tenten. Therefore, _**no one**_ had said happy birthday to him.

And as what he often did when he was alone, his mind flew to the only female on Team Gai. They hadn't met since last week, before Hokage called him to a six days solo mission. Tenten had become a Jounin last year, along with their other comrades including Lee. He remembered how Tenten had thanked him for helping her to become stronger, but in fact Neji felt it was him who had to thank her.

He wasn't too surprised when he realized he made his way to Tenten's apartment that morning. If she wasn't on a mission, maybe she would agree to have a training session.

Tenten's door opened before he could have a chance to knock it.

"Neji?" Tenten appeared behind it, and Neji was sure his eyes widen. She was wearing a purple knee-length _**dress.**_

Neji could count on one hand how many times he'd seen Tenten wearing a dress, and today he'd not expected it at all.

Tenten smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Neji, but I don't think I'm up for training this morning."

"Where are you going?"

"Festival," she answered and stepped out of her apartment before locking the door. "How about I'll see you this evening at the training ground? I'm going to meet Shikamaru now."

"What festival…" Neji's question trailed off when he heard Shikamaru's name. "Shikamaru? What are you going to do with him?"

Tenten rolled her eyes, looking impatient as if she was in a rush. "I have to go now," she said. "See you later, Neji!"

Neji watched Tenten leave with puzzled look. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Oh, and seen. Tenten was wearing a dress, with the intention of going to a festival, _**with**_ Shikamaru?

Shikamaru was one of their best comrades. Neji knew that Tenten and the Nara respected each other, and had assigned in many missions together. But he didn't remember that Tenten had ever mentioned him in a way that suggests she had feelings for him. As for Neji, outside the missions he often met Shikamaru in spare time along with Naruto, Kiba, Lee, Shino, and Chouji. But he never asked him about Tenten, not with signals that he had affection towards her.

This was so wrong.

He felt some strange sensations whirl in his chest. He didn't like them.

Feeling as if he was still in a dream, he walked away from Tenten's apartment. Out of habit, he headed to his and Tenten's training ground. He'd just started to think about the weirdness on his birthday when he heard a familiar voice. "Neji!"

Turning around, Neji found the bowl haired shinobi ran to him. "Neji, my youthful rival! I haven't seen you in a week!"

"Hn." Neji wasn't really in a mood to deal with his energetic teammate. He was in a _**bad **_mood. However, maybe Lee could provide some information related to their bun haired teammate. "Lee, do you know what festival is being held today?"

"Festival?" Lee's thick eyebrows rose. "I'm sorry, my rival, but I don't think there is a festival in Konoha today."

So she'd lied to him. There was no festival to attend to. The fact that Tenten had lied to him made his heart clench. So where was she going with Shikamaru?

Before the Hyuuga could say anything, Lee stared at him with even more rounded eyes, making him look even more ridiculous to Neji. "I have something really important to tell you! Our youthful flower…"

"What?" Neji demanded.

"She's going on a date with Shikamaru!"

And that was when Neji knew today was one of his worst days.

"Neji?" Lee waved a hand in front of his rival's face when he didn't move or say anything. "Neji, are you alright?"

"Of course! Why shouldn't I be?" Neji snapped.

To Neji's utter irritation, Lee grinned broadly. "Ah, I understand!"

"What do you mean?"

"You are jealous, aren't you?"

"No!" Neji replied instantly. "What gives you such an idea?"

"Of course I know it, my eternal rival! I always see that there is something going on between you and Tenten! _**Everyone**_ could see it!"

"Don't be ridiculous," the white-eyed man clenched his fists.

"I don't! Do you want proofs?"

"…"

"Everytime we are in a fight, you always have each other's back! You always watch her movement with your all-seeing eyes and Tenten always protects your back. Your fighting styles cover each other's flaws and are perfect to be combined."

"…"

"I'm sure Tenten holds feelings for you, because she is the one who can deal with you and your _**cold aura**_. She helped you perfecting Kaiten, right? She has a great respect for you, and she always thinks you are very strong! You two always train regularly without me and Gai-sensei."

"…"

"Everyone could always find you together! Whenever we get together with other friends, the fact that you two always stand or sit side by side never goes unnoticed by me! It looks like you aren't willing to be far from each other."

"…"

"Remember the mission of saving Gaara back then? The water prison? When you caught her limp body and held her in your arms? Didn't you know I noticed your usually-emotionless face look worried when she was in that state? And how you were reluctant to let go after she opened her eyes? I knew you were holding her a little bit longer than necessary on purpose!"

"…"

"The most important fact is that you can smile in her presence, Neji. You never smile, you _**smirk!**_ But your smirk for her is always softer. I've also never heard you making any bad comments about her. She is one of very few people you can tolerate."

"…"

"The conclusion is, you are perfect for each other. There's no one else for you."

Neji found himself at a loss for words. Lee stared at him smugly – Neji didn't even remember that the Green Beast had never looked that _**cool **_before. "See, my youthful rival? You know I'm right."

The Hyuuga prodigy was stunned. So, Lee wasn't as idiotic as he thought. It was _**him**_ who was being stupid all this time. Why had he never realized it all? Lee's words were really true, and for the first time Neji admitted that Lee could see and understand things he hadn't.

_**She is the right one for me.**_

"But Neji, don't you think you're too late? I mean, Shikamaru…"

"Stop," Neji cut him off. "Leave me alone."

"But…"

"Just leave." The way Neji spoke made Lee sure that he was very serious. Lee knew he could attack him with Jyuuken or Hakkekusho if he stayed, so he gave him his trademark thumbs-up. "Yosh, Neji! I believe you could bring back your precious flower's heart to you!"

With that, he left.

Neji's knuckles whitened. He needed something to be punched of to release his frustration and anger. Anger towards whom? He couldn't blame Tenten for finding another man for her. It also wasn't Nara's fault that Tenten fell in love with him. After all, it was him who was stupid.

Sometimes, Lee was a genius and Neji was an idiot.

"Hyuuga Neji-san?"

A black haired genin boy he didn't know watched him unsure a few meters from where he stood. Neji didn't intend to scare him, but his current mood forced himself to glare at the young boy. "What?"

The genin visibly flinched before replying. "Tsunade-sama wants to talk to you."

"Hn. I'll meet her in a minute."

Glad that at least the Hyuuga man didn't object or question him further, the genin took off.

Neji forced himself not to sigh. What had gotten into the Hokage, sending him for ridiculous amount of missions lately?

* * *

"So, Shikamaru?" Tenten looked at the Nara pleadingly. "Will you tell me?"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered for the fifth times that day. "Tenten, it is a secret. No one is supposed to know before…"

"So you think I will go to everyone and spread it?" Tenten pouted and crossed her arms.

Shikamaru sighed. Women and their troublesomeness never failed to annoy him. "Alright, I'll tell you. But promise me that it will be a secret, okay?"

* * *

"What's the mission this time, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Thanks for coming, Neji, but you're not here for a mission."

Neji watched her warily. "Then what is it?"

The Fifth Hokage smiled. "I called you here for a good announcement. Are you ready?"

The white eyed man didn't answer as Tsunade grabbed something from her drawer and put it on her desk, letting Neji's eyes widen as he saw it. A bird ANBU mask.

"Congratulations for your promotion, Hyuuga Neji."

* * *

Neji stood again in the middle of his training ground, watching the sky with his pale eyes. The sun almost disappeared, making the clouds glow between red and orange.

Tsunade had wished him a happy birthday, saying that his promotion to ANBU was her gift for him. Neji had thanked her then. To be honest, the thought of joining ANBU had crossed his mind a few times before. He was used to the compliment that he was the strongest of his clan, even at his young age. He always wanted to become stronger, to prove that his position as a Branch member didn't affect his career as a shinobi, and the promotion to ANBU was probably the right path.

However, being an ANBU meant that he would be assigned in long missions more often. Without Team Gai. Without Tenten. If only Tenten was _**his,**_ he didn't have to be worried. He didn't mind if they had to take separated missions as long as he knew she belonged to him, not another man.

"Neji…"

Neji felt his body stiffen when he heard the familiar voice. He'd forgotten that she'd promised to meet him this evening. He didn't turn around, knowing that looking at her could remind him that she was someone else's now.

"Neji, I know you're upset that I refused to train this morning. I'm sorry."

What did he have to say? About his promotion? About how stupid he was that she had to choose somebody else?

He heard footsteps behind him, and Tenten's voice came nearer. "Look, Neji, I'm very sorry. I know I shouldn't have left you alone on your birthday…"

Good. At least she remembered that it was his birthday. "It's alright."

A few seconds of silence passed before Tenten spoke again, this time in annoyance. "Will you please turn around?"

Neji didn't have any choice. He turned to see her, who still looked the same as how he'd seen her in the morning. She was still wearing the purple dress and her brown hair was still up in two buns. He inwardly cursed the fact that she looked gorgeous with the simple dress, because that damn dress reminded him again about her date with Shikamaru. "What do you want to say?"

He didn't mean to sound harsh, but Tenten raised an eyebrow in confusion. Thankfully Tenten knew him better than anybody else, so she smiled. "Happy birthday, Neji. I'm sorry I didn't say anything when you met me in my apartment. I intended to say it this evening."

Neji glanced away. "Thank you."

Tenten eyed him carefully. "Did someone else make you upset, other than me?"

"No." Shikamaru of course, but he didn't want to admit.

"You're lying. I met Lee on the way here and he said you were very upset because of something. Did I really make you this angry, or was there someone else?"

"What did Lee say?" Neji's eyes narrowed.

The brunette shrugged. "He didn't explain it to me," she stated. "Come on Neji, look what I've bought!"

For the first time he noticed that Tenten was holding a paper bag. He couldn't hold it back, he had to _**ask**_ her. "What did Shikamaru buy for you on your first date?"

"Huh?" Tenten's eyebrows rose. "What do you mean?"

The Hyuuga prodigy refused to look at her. "You lied to me. There was no festival. Where did you two go?"

"I didn't go anywhere with Shikamaru," Tenten answered in confusion. "I met him briefly this morning to talk about something. And no, I didn't lie because there really was a festival in academy!"

Neji stared at her in equal confusion.

"The academy teachers held a cooking festival for charity where students could sell their homemade foods. The money would be given to the orphanage. Iruka-sensei had asked kunoichi to help them, and Ino forced me to wear this damn dress, so…"

"Then why didn't Lee know about that?"

"How could I know? Only kunoichi were asked to participate, after all."

"And what did you do with Shikamaru?"

At this, Tenten stared at him with a glint of amusement in her pretty brown eyes. "I didn't do anything with him, other than talking for a few minutes."

Neji struggled to compose himself. They didn't…? "But Lee said you had a date with him."

Tenten's eyes widened before she let out a laugh, making Neji narrow his eyes. "I can't believe how stupid he was," she said in laughter. "I met him this morning and he asked where I was going. I told him that I wanted to visit Shikamaru. I also reminded him not to forget this date, but what I meant was your birthday, Neji! Not that kind of date! So he didn't get what I meant and forgot your birthday?"

Neji didn't answer, his mind was too numb.

The Weapon Mistress stopped laughing. "And do you know why did I meet Shikamaru?"

He didn't trust himself to speak, so he kept silent. Tenten smiled. "When you were on a mission yesterday, I heard an issue about your promotion to ANBU along with Shikamaru. I visited Shikamaru this morning to ask if the rumor was right. Hell, I had to force him to tell me! But he finally gave up and said that it was true. He said I wasn't allowed to talk about this to you until Tsunade-sama informed you. Well, she's told you, hasn't she?"

The Hyuuga still didn't get it. "Yes. Why did you want to know it before me?"

"Because," Tenten reached into her bag, pulling out a golden box. "If the rumor was right, I wanted to give you this as your birthday present."

Neji hesitantly took the box, making his teammate grin. "Come on, open it!"

Neji opened it and saw the most beautiful dagger he'd ever seen. Being Tenten's friend for a long time, Neji knew that it was an expensive weapon. It looked strong, with birds pattern engraved on the handle, and somehow it reminded him of _**her**_. "It will be useful for you as an ANBU. After the festival ended, I ran to the weapon shop to buy it for you. It is their special item, you know, they only created it one! Consider it as my present for both your birthday and promotion. Congratulations, Neji."

Neji knew he had to say thank you, but his tongue couldn't move. Tenten's grin softened. "Well, Gai-sensei is on a mission, and Lee probably is doing his ridiculous training. So, how about we have dinner at my place? Just the two of us?"

He needed several deep breaths before replying. "I would like to."

Tenten suddenly stepped closer and stood on her tiptoes. He was sure he lost his mind when she kissed him on the cheek. "Happy birthday, _**Neji-kun."**_

She turned quickly and took off, after signaling him to follow her.

On his nineteenth birthday, Hyuuga Neji learned for the first time that a genius could be a fool sometimes.

* * *

_**Once again, happy birthday Neji-kun!**_

_**Yeah, I don't lie about Neji and Tenten always seen together, how they trust each other, etc. Those are obvious in the manga and anime. The Water Prison scene (Naruto Shippuden episode 14) is the sweetest NejiTen proof I've ever seen. And my avatar too…**_

_**Let me know what you think!**_


	3. So, Marry Me

Tenten made her way out of the Hokage office, humming happily to herself. She'd just come back from a solo mission, which went not as hard as she'd thought at first, and she'd completed it successfully. Now, after reporting the details to the Hokage, she was going home. Get a nice shower, prepare a quick dinner, and oh, she had ice cream as the dessert.

Tenten smiled to herself. Unlike other civilian women, she didn't have to limit her food intake. Being a kunoichi forced her to burn her calories _**everyday.**_ If not a mission, hours of training with Team Gai or a sparring session with Neji would surely have its positive effect. Moreover, it was well-known that kunoichi's strenuous training always resulted in a well-shaped body.

Aside from well-shaped or not, Tenten was sure Neji liked her the way she was. He, in fact, always scolded her if she skipped lunch or dinner, even breakfast. He always refused to train with her if she hadn't eaten anything beforehand.

"Tenten-san!"

Tenten turned around to find a blue haired woman fiddle with her fingers. Smiling at the younger kunoichi, she greeted her. "Good evening, Hinata! What are you doing here?"

"Um, Neji-nii… Neji-nii-san… He is…"

The Weapon Mistress raised her eyebrows. She remembered that Neji had been injured in a tough ANBU mission a few days ago, and although his injury hadn't been that bad, Sakura had forced him to stay at the hospital for a while. "What happened, Hinata? He was released from the hospital two days ago, right?"

"Y-yes. But he had to go back there…"

"What? I thought Hokage-sama gave him a week of rest?"

"He's not… he's not injured because of a mission," Hinata explained in her usual way. "You should go and see him."

"Oh," Tenten frowned, wondering what had happened to Neji. "Alright, I'm going to see him. Thank you, Hinata. Is his condition very bad?"

The shy Hyuuga heiress bit her lips, looking like she was unsure herself. "I-I couldn't tell. I'm sorry, Tenten-san. I'm really sorry."

After that, she bowed and left. The brunette could only stare at her in utter confusion. What had she apologized for?

Something told her that she had to see Neji, soon.

* * *

Neji was sitting on the hospital bed when she arrived. Her eyes immediately examined him, making sure that he wasn't injured as badly as when he'd come back from fighting Kidomaru years ago.

"Neji? What happened?"

The Hyuuga prodigy stared at her with wide pale eyes, as if he hadn't expected her to come. His eyes turned to the window, avoiding hers. "You're back."

Tenten frowned. "You were released two days ago, weren't you? What happened?"

"Who told you where to find me?" Neji's irrelevant reply came.

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "Why? Am I not allowed to see you? Hinata told me you were here."

"Hinata?" Neji's sharp gaze turned to her, and she was glad those eyes had never made her scared. "She has no right."

"What has gotten into you? Will you just tell me what's wrong?"

"It's better if you don't know." Neji once again looked away, locking his gaze with the sky outside the window.

Tenten took a deep breath. She knew Neji was _**very **_difficult to handle, even by her who had known him since almost ten years ago, but this time she'd really lost her patience. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why, do you think I will freak out?" He didn't answer, angering her even more. "Answer me, Neji!"

Neji finally glanced at her, his eyes filled with something strange. "Yes. And I want you to be safe."

The brunette kunoichi stunned, not getting what he meant. Then, with lower voice she spoke again. "I will be fine, I promise. It's you I'm worried about."

Neji gazed at her for a few seconds, before closing his eyes. Tenten had made sure she'd showed determination in her face, that she wouldn't leave before hearing the matter. If Neji always got things to go his way, she could be like that, too. Who said she wasn't as stubborn as he was?

"The Elders activated my curse mark."

Tenten's expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief. She knew they had never done it to him before. "Where were Hinata and her father? They should've stopped them!"

"They weren't at home when it happened. No one had the right to stop them."

The bun haired girl looked horrified, imagining Neji with his curse mark activated. She could picture him writhe on the ground, scream in agony while clutching his forehead…

"It's over, though." Neji, in contrast from what was in her brain, looked calm as ever. "The doctor said I would be released tomorrow. You-"

"You're not fine!" Tenten cut him off harshly. "If you're in the hospital now, then the effect of your activated curse mark is pretty bad! Why did they do this to you?"

"I refused to do what they wanted me to do," Neji simply replied.

"What?" Tenten clenched her fist as if she wanted desperately to punch something, if not the damned Hyuuga Elders she'd grown to hate since she'd known Neji. "What did they want you to do?"

"It's a clan matter," Neji responded, only provoking her anger even more.

"They've never activated your curse mark before, Neji! You've also never argued with them. If you refused to do as what you were told, it must've been something bad!"

"Tenten," Neji called her, unaffected by her words. "Calm down. I can handle this by my own. They won't hurt me again."

"How do you know?" Tenten demanded. "Please, Neji, tell me what's really going on!"

"I can't!" Neji stated firmly, his tone of voice told her that he was angry himself. "As what I've told you, I just want you to be safe! I don't want to drag you into this. This is _**my**_ clan matter."

"They can't hurt me, Neji! I'm not a Hyuuga! And I promise you, I won't confront them or something like that. Just tell me what the problem is!"

Neji's knuckles whitened. "You won't understand it, Tenten."

"I will!" Tenten nearly shouted. "I've been with you for years, Neji! And I know you, perhaps more than you know yourself!"

"You're an orphan and you don't even have a family! How could you possibly understand what I've been through?"

Silence.

Tenten stiffened, widening her chocolate eyes in shock. It was like her heart stabbed by a kunai made from ice. She froze on her spot, unable to move or speak.

Neji had never really hurt her before. Never once he'd implied that her status as a nameless orphan had bothered him; a prodigy from one of the respected, skilled, wealthy clans in Konoha. He'd always treated her well, perhaps better than he'd treated anybody else, never underestimating her like that.

Tenten felt her eyes grow wet, and it took all of her strength to hold back tears that threatened to fall. Neji's eyes were as wide as hers, and Tenten couldn't help knowing that he immediately regretted what he'd just said.

It was too late, though. She turned around to leave before slamming the door.

* * *

Avoiding Neji was harder than what she'd thought.

It had been three days since she'd met him that night. Neji also hadn't made a move to visit her and apologize since he'd left the hospital the following day. It broke her heart too, knowing that he _**didn't**_ care.

She wondered if their relationship would still be the same.

It was their first big fight ever. Ever since their Genin days, they'd never fought this way. Only little fights in several moments, mainly because their personalities were different in any way. He was cold, she was warm. He was the brain, she was the heart. He was the sky, she was the earth. However, she knew that way they could complete each other in a way none other couple could. Behind Neji's cold aura, he'd always treated her gentlemanly, he'd never talked to her in a harsh way.

Tenten shut her eyes to prevent tears to fall. She wanted to cry not only because what Neji had said to her, but also because she was really worried about him. What had his clan wanted from Neji? Why had he disobeyed them? What if they would hurt him again? She had no power to stop them, while Neji didn't want to drag her into his clan's problem.

She shook her head, trying to throw Neji out of her head. It was late at night and she'd just come back from a mission with Lee. It had been a simple one with satisfying result, but she'd gotten a cut on her forearm. Lee had told her to go to the hospital to get her arm treated and that he would go report the mission alone.

She had only thanked Lee, while in fact she'd made her way towards home instead. She hadn't intended to go to hospital, at least not tonight. Besides, her wound wasn't that severe. She had a bottle of special ointment for healing wounds, made by Sakura. Now, the only thing she wanted was a deep sleep to forget about Neji and…

"Tenten."

Tenten froze, her hand was still holding the key to her apartment. She mentally cursed herself – and cursed _**him**_ – for not sensing his chakra. She stood still, unsure of what to do.

"I need to talk to you."

This was it. She hadn't prepared anything to talk to him right now. Not in her condition now, after coming back from a long day mission.

She unlocked the door, opened it, and stepped inside. Before Neji had a chance to walk in, she quickly tried to shut it. Neji was faster though, he held the doorknob strongly with one hand while the other gripped Tenten's uninjured arm.

"Let me in." He said softly, not in a commanding way.

Tenten looked away, not wanting to look at him in the eyes. She could still feel her heart ache painfully at what he had said that night.

Neji would apologize, and Tenten would forgive him. Then they would continue as a couple, forgetting what they had fought about. He didn't need to do anything other than saying sorry, because Tenten knew, she always loved him whatever he had done and said. There would always be forgiveness for him, whether he deserved it or not.

She was the Konoha Weapon Mistress, a fiery kunoichi with steel determination. Yet, she couldn't help but stupidly, helplessly fall for the great Hyuuga Neji.

Neji had managed to walk in and close the door. She could feel his eyes on her arm, and could tell without seeing that he narrowed them. "Where are your bandages?"

It was a rhetorical question because he knew her apartment so well like it was his too, so Tenten didn't answer. Neji walked to the kitchen where she kept all of her medicines. She followed him, knowing that she had no other options.

A few seconds later, she was sitting in a chair as Neji knelt before her, changing her dirty bandages with the fresh one. She remained silent, not intending to say something first.

Uncharacteristically, it was Neji who broke the silence first. "I've waited for you since this morning."

She couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh. "I've waited for you to come since that night, and you've never come."

Neji who had finished bandaging her arm grasped her hand. "Before I explain everything, Tenten… I'm really sorry about what I've said to you. But believe me, I regretted that as soon as the words came out of my mouth."

Tenten stared at the wall to avoid his eyes. "Well, what you've said is true, though. I'm an orphan and I don't have a family. I will never understand what you've been through."

"No," Neji squeezed her hand tightly. "I was… I was very frustrated that night, that I said something I didn't want to say. I know how angry and disappointed you are. Please forgive me."

The word "please" wasn't something you could hear very often from Hyuuga Neji. But that wasn't what Tenten was focusing of. She knew Neji loved her and hadn't intended to hurt her. She knew he hadn't meant the words that night, that he'd regretted it. Before fighting Naruto years ago, he'd indeed had a sharp tongue and had often underestimated powerless people. But he'd never done that again since that battle, especially to her – she always thought he spoke to her in a way softer than to anyone he'd ever spoken to.

"I'm very sorry that I didn't tell you what had happened. Because the problem is… related to you."

For the first time Tenten looked at him in shock, noticing how serious he was. "What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I had just left the hospital that day," he started. "And the Elders held a meeting, which I had to attend. They brought a shocking announcement for me… that I had to marry soon. As you know, Hinata married Naruto five months ago. Now they wanted me to find a wife."

Tenten's eyes widened, but Neji gave her hand a small squeeze again. "They wanted me to marry someone from our clan that they'd prepared."

"Neji-"

"And I refused. I was unlucky that Hinata and Hiashi-sama weren't there to stop the Elders from activating my curse mark. In normal condition, I would be fine after they used it on me. But apparently I was still in a fever because earlier injuries – which was why I had been told to rest for a few days – and collapsed after that. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. Again."

Tenten bit her lips, imagining his pain. "What did you say to them in refusal?"

"I told them that I already had _**someone;**_ I would never marry anyone else." He linked his fingers with hers. "That night, I didn't want you to be sad about this. That's why I kept this from you. I've waited these past three days until they finally gave up and allowed me to marry you."

She froze.

"So, marry me. Tenten."

Tenten couldn't breathe when Neji reached into his pocket, before holding a simple, yet beautiful silver ring between his thumb and forefinger.

Neji was different than any other man. He proposed to her in her apartment, which hadn't been cleaned since two days ago, not in a restaurant where there were candles and flowers. He proposed when she was wearing her dirty Jounin vest, her hair looked like a mess and her arm bandaged, not when she was in a beautiful dress or kimono. And he proposed when their relationship was in a conflict, not when their feelings were blooming, or in Lee and Gai-sensei's language, in the springtime of love.

He looked at her expectantly, confidently, in Hyuuga Neji way – without fear or doubt like other men. She knew he knew the answer, so her lips curved upwards and formed a gentlest smile. "Yes."

As a single tear rolled down her cheek, she threw herself into his arms until his back was on the floor and she straddled him, leaning down to kiss him passionately even before he had a chance to slip the ring on her finger. She didn't want the ring; she wanted _**him,**_ he was all she needed to have.

* * *

_**Very late update! I feel so guilty for not posting anything in a long time. July was pretty hard for me; I barely had time even to use my laptop.**_

_**After writing fluffy, cheesy plots in three previous chapters, I wanted to create more dramatic one. Guess I'm more skilled at writing meaningless fluffs, but I hope it's worth it. Please leave me a review.**_


	4. A Perfect Combination

Hyuuga Kiyomi sighed and folded her arms before burying her face in them. It was a sunny day in Konoha, and she was very hungry. She hadn't eaten anything since last night, and after hours of _**youthful**_ training with her teacher, she immediately regretted that.

Moral lesson: never skip your breakfast before you train with Rock Lee.

They were in Ichiraku now, waiting for their orders to come. Kiyomi wasn't a big fan of ramen – she somehow felt uncomfortable with slurping noodles in front of others' presence, something that his uncle, Naruto would never understand – however, she hadn't objected when Lee had dragged her to the small restaurant. Besides, their training had stopped when her stomach had protested loudly in front of Lee, making her flush in embarrassment. Good thing that her other two teammates hadn't been there to see it, for surely they would have laughed in her face.

The said bowl haired Jounin was staring at her concernedly. "Little flower, you shouldn't have skipped your breakfast before training with me. It could ruin your flames of youth! You could have passed out from hunger!"

Little flower. From the moment she'd been born, Lee had called her with that silly nickname. Kiyomi was too used to the name to be irritated about that anymore. Her father had always found the nickname annoying and had forbidden him to call her with that name – to no avail. Lee always explained that in their earlier years, he had always called her mother with "youthful flower", so now it was her turn to be called with "little flower". Her mother had laughed at that once, saying Lee had been too kind to them. Kiyomi and her father had snorted and mumbled "ridiculous" at the same time.

Sighing a little, Kiyomi straightened her spine. "Hyuugas don't pass out, especially not because of hunger. And I had no time to prepare breakfast this morning." Moreover, there hadn't been her mother to remind her not to skip breakfast.

"Ah, if I'm not mistaken, Neji and Tenten left for a mission yesterday?"

"Hn." Kiyomi answered unenergetically, but brightened a bit when the Ichiraku owner placed two bowls of ramen in front of them. Lee expressed a loud, happy _**itadakimasu,**_ while she only muttered an almost soundless one – oh, and without clapping her hands – as if she wasn't hungry as hell.

"How is Hyuuga family?" Lee asked between mouthfuls.

"Fine," she answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Well… what? Because I know a few people from your clan. You, Neji, Hinata, Hanabi. Tenten and Naruto, too."

"I see. They're doing well, thank you for asking."

Instead of rolling his eyes at Kiyomi's unnecessary formality like other people normally did, Lee asked again. "You love your clan, don't you, little flower?"

Kiyomi stared at her sensei incredulously. "Of course," she said. "Why don't I?"

"Nothing," Lee grinned widely and gave her his trademark thumbs up. "You're a good Hyuuga girl, I'm so proud of you!"

Kiyomi knew it had something to do with her father's past. She'd been told about the true story of Hyuuga clan before the abolishment of the Main and Branch system by her aunt, Hinata. She was lucky that she'd been born after the curse mark had no longer existed. She now lived in a peaceful family where she was loved, especially since she was the only child of the clan's strongest prodigy. Her father always told her not to hate their clan despite all that they had done to him, because he himself had left his past behind. She just wanted to always obey her father.

While she was busy with her own thoughts, she caught Lee staring at her. Glaring at her teacher, she put down her chopsticks. "What?"

"I'm just thinking," Lee murmured, somehow in astonishment, "you are very much like your father!"

Holding back the urge to roll her eyes – her father always said Hyuugas didn't roll their eyes – Kiyomi turned her attention back to her meal. "_**Everyone**_ has told me that million times, Sensei," she said. "Including you. There's no use in reminding me about that again."

"Yes, but you've grown up so much!" Lee bawled. "You look like my youthful rival more and more each day!"

"Sensei," Kiyomi said, not wanting to see her teacher crying loudly in happiness, shouting about weird things. "I don't think he thinks of you as his rival."

The Jounin stopped his wails. "Why, you are wrong, my little flower! We are rivals and will always be! He _**admitted**_ that!"

Kiyomi shrugged. "Whatever."

"It makes me wonder why you don't have any of Tenten's personalities. She's far more cheerful and…"

"When she was my age, my mother never cared about clothes, makeup, and boys," she cut him off. "Being a splendid kunoichi was all she'd ever wanted. I think it is the only personality I have from her." It was true that Kiyomi had inherited her mother's tomboyness. She hated skirt and didn't wear makeup – people always said that she was beautiful enough even without makeup, though – and if she let her long hair down, it was just because most of her family did.

Lee shook his head. "You are youthfully beautiful, little flower, but with _**Neji's **_coldness in you, boys would likely avoid you!"

"It's not a bad thing," Kiyomi shrugged, stabbing the egg in her ramen with her chopsticks unconsciously. "Boys are not my goal."

"Well, you remind me of Tenten now!"

Kiyomi turned her head to look at her teacher. Such sentence wasn't that often to be heard, so she lifted an eyebrow. "Hn?"

"She said that when she was young," Lee sighed with glistened eyes, remembering their young days. "Until she fell in love with Neji, that is."

Although Kiyomi wasn't into gossips, she couldn't help but felt curious. She knew her parents had been teammates and sparring partners, and rumor said they had started to be lovers at the age of eighteen, but she had no clue on _**how**_ their relationship had started. Her parents and Lee had many times told her the stories of their old days, but they had never talked about Neji and Tenten's past relationship, while Kiyomi had never bothered to ask. All she knew was that they loved each other despite all those little fights.

"Who fell in love first?" She couldn't believe she had just asked that. It was just un-Kiyomi, but then she decided to ignore it.

"I honestly couldn't tell," Lee tapped his chin. "When we were Genin, we all knew that they always trained together without me and Gai-sensei. They were one of the most youthful shinobi I had ever known! They trained every single day, whenever they both were free from missions. They have such burning stamina!"

Kiyomi nodded at this. Many people indeed often said that her parents were training freaks.

"They were getting closer after passing the Chuunin test. We, I mean, me and other rookies knew that they held feelings for each other. It was just too obvious from the way they looked at each other and were often seen together, but they always denied it. I didn't understand how unyouthful they were that they hid it from me!"

The Hyuuga girl smirked a bit. She understood; her father had been too proud to admit he had loved her because he had thought of it as a weakness, while her mother had been too stubborn to break her promise that boys hadn't been her goal, including Hyuuga Neji.

Suddenly Lee grinned, showing his perfectly white teeth. "It was until we were all Jounin. The guys went to hot springs to celebrate this special achievement. That was when we found a proof that Neji couldn't deny."

"What?"

"When we were shirtless and Neji wore his long hair up, we clearly saw red marks on his neck," Lee said, as if Kiyomi wasn't a fifteen years old girl who of course felt uncomfortable at the topic, especially since the subject was her own daddy. "We forced him to admit that they were in a relationship, because what else that red marks – ow!"

Kiyomi had kicked his foot under the table. "I _**don't **_want to hear about that particular topic," she hissed. "So, what did my father say to you all?"

"He finally admitted casually that they were dating and then brushed it off. I don't know with Tenten, but the next day we got together in a dinner, we all acted normally like nothing was happening. Probably it was because we'd known from the start that they would end up together. It was that simple until now."

Kiyomi stared at her half-eaten food. Of course Lee knew her parents' relationship weren't always simple, but he chose not to talk about it. Kiyomi knew their marriage hadn't been that easy. Some of the Hyuuga clan had disapproved their courtship, and they had needed some time before accepting her father's decision. But Kiyomi _**didn't **_really want to think about that right now.

"I'm sure you know that their personalities complete each other perfectly. Each of them has what the other doesn't."

Kiyomi nodded, not even realizing that Lee had suddenly spoken seriously, not like his usual self. It was right. Her parents' personalities were indeed very different, but that was why they loved each other. They both loved challenges, and being together with a very different type of person was one of it.

And she was proud that she had both parts of her parents, even if her father's was more dominant.

"And you are the combination of them both. Therefore, you are perfect, my little flower!" Lee said and grinned at her. "Now, let's finish our lunch before going back to train. Never let those strength and determination of yours die!"

The Hyuuga girl's lips curled upwards. This was it. She knew why her parents trusted and respected her weird but amazing teacher so greatly. "Yes, Sensei."

* * *

_**Kiyomi is back! Writing about her is always fun.**_

_**Although I love the interaction between her and Lee, this chapter honestly isn't my favorite. However, let me know what you think about this girl!**_


	5. My Teammate

_**Warning: T for language and…**_

* * *

All of the guys always knew that there was something going on between Neji and Tenten.

No matter how much the two acted normally in front of others as if they were _**just**_ teammates, their friends could see what the Hyuuga prodigy and his female teammate thought they couldn't. Ever since their Genin days, each of them had asked or teased Neji at least once about this. What he always said was: "She is my teammate."

But in the end, he would always realize that they had been right.

* * *

Neji and Naruto stood outside the Konoha gate, waiting for Tenten to arrive. They were assigned in a mission to bring back weapons from Iou, the Konoha's blacksmith who lived outside the village.

"I guess I arrived too early," Naruto groaned.

"No," Neji commented. "You've just been here since two minutes ago."

Naruto snorted. "Five minutes again. Where's Tenten? She's the captain in this mission, she'd better not be late!"

"She won't," Neji replied calmly. "She's never late."

The blonde haired boy grinned, a mischievous look suddenly appearing in his face. "You seem to know a lot about her, Neji," he teased. "It reminds me that behind your cold appearance, you are still human!"

Neji shot him a dark glare. "She's my teammate."

"But-"

"Hey, guys!" A feminine voice was heard, before Tenten appeared with her wide smile. "I'm not late, right? Come on, we should go now!"

She and Neji took off quickly, making Naruto protest for being left behind. The Uzumaki boy of course forgot what he was about to say, as for the rest of the mission he didn't even remember to bring back the topic.

Neji was still a Genin, and he still liked to think Tenten was only his teammate. His sparring partner.

It didn't take long for him to realize that Naruto's words were right. He started to learn about her, until he was suddenly aware that he knew Tenten more than anyone else.

* * *

Neji was about to leave the Hyuuga compound when he saw Kiba and Akamaru stand at the gate. The dog lover raised an eyebrow at him. "Going to train?"

"Hn," Neji replied shortly. "What are you doing here?"

Kiba grinned. "Pompous as usual," he remarked, but Neji looked unaffected. "I'm waiting for Hinata. After Naruto left the village with that legendary Sannin, she insisted to train regularly with me and Shino."

Neji merely nodded. "I see. I'm going now."

"Training with that weapon girl, huh?" Kiba asked. "Is she that good in the battle?"

The Hyuuga prodigy lifted an eyebrow. "I wouldn't train with her if she wasn't."

"I know," Kiba chuckled. "You know what, Hyuuga, you must be careful. Aren't you afraid that someday you will fall in love with her?"

Narrowing his eyes, Neji turned around and snorted. "She's my teammate. Don't be ridiculous."

However, he still heard Kiba said in amusement. "Well, you never know what will happen, right?"

Neji ignored him and walked away.

Since his father had died many years ago, he still couldn't understand what love was. Not yet.

However, deep inside his heart he couldn't deny that Kiba's theory was right. He didn't know what the future had in store for him. Including everything about him and Tenten; he didn't know.

* * *

"So, Jounin now?" Shikamaru asked as he and Neji walked out of the Hokage office together. Neji had just been promoted to be a Jounin, the first of Konoha Eleven to achieve the rank. "Congratulations, Hyuuga."

"Thank you."

"Hokage-sama won't give you missions with Team Gai as often as usual," the Nara prodigy said again. "You'll be assigned in many solo missions. Or missions with other Jounin."

"I know," Neji replied quietly. "But I have asked her personally not to remove me completely from Team Gai. She's agreed that she would allow me to take missions with them as usual, although once in a while I'd be assigned in a separated mission."

In fact, he had seen Tenten's strange expression when she had found out about Neji not taking many missions with Team Gai anymore. After seeing her unpleasant reaction, he had decided to ask Tsunade to keep him in Team Gai, to assign him to missions with them as usual.

He himself realized that he still needed Team Gai, even though he had surpassed his other teammates. He still needed _**Tenten.**_

Shikamaru smirked. "I never knew you didn't want to be apart from the two Green Beasts."

Neji snorted, but Shikamaru continued. "Or is it because the Weapon Mistress?"

The white eyed man froze, but he quickly tried to regain his composure. "What do you mean?"

Smirking in amusement, Shikamaru glanced at his friend. "She's the only girl who is close to you. Other than Hinata, probably, but your cousin is another matter."

Neji was silent before responding. "She's my teammate. Of course she's close to me."

"Women are troublesome," the Nara boy stated. "Even one of them could make a genius like you feel like a fool. Beware."

Neji still denied his own feelings, however. He only knew that he _**needed**_ her. He needed her to be around, he needed her to train with to become stronger together, and he needed her to provide comfort he lacked at his own home.

Anyway, he realized Shikamaru was right not long after that. Women were troublesome. Tenten was troublesome.

She always made him feel like a fool.

* * *

"Why don't you join them?" Chouji asked.

It was Tenten's birthday. He and Neji were staring at the brunette who was surrounded by their friends. Neji found himself staring, unable to take his eyes off of her. Watching her smile and laugh happily somehow made him content.

"Hn." Neji honestly didn't pay much attention to the Akimichi who was standing beside him.

"She looks very happy," Chouji said while munching his potato chips. "You should go to her and say happy birthday. She always looks happier when it comes to you."

Neji didn't answer.

"Are you two dating?"

"She's my teammate."

"Oh. I was wrong, then."

"I've got to do something," Neji turned around before walking away.

"Alright. See you, Neji."

In fact, he had prepared a special present for her a few weeks ago. He wanted to give it to her when there was no one around. He just wanted to see her happy expression, because seeing her smile always brought a small smile to him as well.

He realized what Chouji had said was right when he gave her the present that night. Her brown eyes sparkled and her lips formed a smile he always liked very much.

She always looked happier when it came to him, and it made him happy too.

* * *

"You need to calm down."

Neji glanced at Shino who was sitting beside him calmly. "Why do you think I'm not?"

"You're anxious," Shino said. "I can see it. Don't worry, she'll be fine."

The Hyuuga man closed his eyes, trying to ease the throbbing veins in his head. They had just come back from a mission with Tenten. She had been poisoned by one of their enemies in the middle of the battle. Needless to say, Neji and Shino had had to finish the fight quickly, before rushing to go back to Konoha. Neji had carried her unconscious form on his back, growing even worried when he felt her cold sweats and heavy breathing.

What made him feel even more uneasy was the fact that the hospital team even needed Sakura, Shizune and a few other medical ninjas to perform the operation. The look in Shizune's face earlier told him that it wasn't going to be easy.

"Sakura and Shizune-san are great medics."

Neji opened his eyes before turning his head to look questioningly at Shino. The Aburame adjusted his glasses before speaking again. "They're going to save her," he continued. A few silent seconds passed. "I know how important she is to you."

"She's my teammate," Neji said.

"I know. But that doesn't change the fact."

Neji was still deep in his thoughts when the door he'd been staring at opened, revealing an exhausted Sakura. The pink haired medic smiled at Neji. "She's alright. I promise she'll wake up soon."

After convincing Shino to go home, he waited alone for her to wake up until hours later. When she opened her eyes slowly and stared at him, looking perfectly alright, Neji did it.

He kissed her for the first time, so soft and gentle that he felt Tenten smile on his own lips.

He realized how important she was to him, as what Shino had said.

* * *

"Youthful rival, may I ask something?"

They were in Team Gai's old training ground, waiting for Tenten. No matter how much they had grown up, they still kept their habit to train together whenever they had time. Neji wouldn't say it, but he knew Team Gai would always be a part of him.

"What?"

Lee stood straight, looking at Neji seriously. Neji wondered what ridiculous things the bowl-haired was about to say again.

"Are you in a relationship with Tenten?"

Neji needed five seconds before replying. "She's my teammate. _**Our**_ teammate."

"I know it," Lee stated. "That was your answer in previous times I asked you about this! However, I tell you now, sooner or later you will be dating our youthful flower. Because I am sure that you _**love**_ her!"

Neji didn't reply, but he didn't deny Lee's words this time. He had admitted, even if only to himself and to her, that he loved her.

Lee had been with Neji and Tenten for years. He knew about them more than anyone else, more than other guys that had teased him many times about Tenten. It was no wonder that Lee knew what he felt for her.

He was just lucky that he and Tenten were smart enough to hide their relationship very well, even from Lee who actually wasn't as oblivious as he looked. He didn't want anyone to know yet, not because he was ashamed of her. They both were just not into public display of affection. Their feelings and actions were just for them, not for everyone else to see.

But he knew, someday they would find out and they had to admit their secret.

* * *

The day Neji admitted to the guys that he and Tenten were in a relationship was the day they celebrated their achievement to Jounin rank. They had decided to visit a hot spring together before having a special lunch later.

Neji arrived a few minutes later, when all the guys had soaked themselves in the water and talked about some random topics. After greeting them with a nod, he was just about to close his eyes to relish the warmth of the water when he noticed all of the guys were staring at him with their mouths hanging open.

"What?" He asked defensively.

No one answered. Even Akamaru stood still at the edge of the pool, watching him with interest.

Neji was sure he looked fine. Maybe except for his hair that had been pulled up into a messy ponytail, but his friends had ever seen him with his hair up a few times before. Therefore, nothing was wrong with him.

"Youthful rival…" Lee stammered. "You-you…"

"Neji, you're such a lucky bastard!" Kiba added, making the other guys laugh.

It was one of those rare moments when Neji felt like a fool. His brain couldn't process what they were talking about. "What the hell do you mean?"

Shikamaru smirked meaningfully at him. "Where did you sleep last night?"

Neji's eyes suddenly narrowed. "It's none of your business."

"Come on, are you still denying it?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "Just tell us the truth."

"What…" Neji's sentence trailed off when he realized they were staring at his _**neck.**_

_**Shit.**_

Why had he forgotten about that?

"Whoa, I never thought she was a _**biter!**_" Kiba exclaimed, earning chuckles from the others. "It doesn't seem impossible, though. She looks feisty."

"Or maybe she was just very hungry," Chouji added.

Neji closed his eyes. No, he wasn't going to blush in embarrassment. He just had to control his racing heart and clear his mind…

"So, are you going to admit it or not?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow lazily. "Don't worry, we all won't be surprised. We expected it all from the start."

The guys waited for Neji's response, until he revealed his pale orbs. "Yes."

"Yes what? You're dating the Konoha Weapon Mistress, aren't you?"

Neji quickly shut his eyes again. "Yes. I'm in a _**relationship**_ with her."

The guys cheered as if they had won a prize.

"Finally," Kiba sighed. "We were wondering when the hell you would reveal your relationship with her!"

"I told you," Shino said calmly, "he would say it eventually."

"It's just unfair!" Naruto protested, directing his fist at Neji. "You don't allow me to touch Hinata even though we are dating! You're an overprotective cousin!"

Neji opened an eye. "I'll kill you if you dare to touch Hinata-sama."

"Jerk!" Naruto cursed. "You see, I-"

"Enough, Naruto," Kiba cut the blond haired man off, a mischievous grin curved his lips. "Why don't we hear about how much fun Neji and his girlfriend had last night?"

"NO!" Lee suddenly screamed, making all the guys – with the exception of Neji and Shino – jump in surprise. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE DEFLOWERED OUR TEAM'S YOUTHFUL, BEAUTIFUL FLOWER! NOOOOO!"

It was a long day for Neji.

But still, there was no way in hell he would tell them about… his fun last night.

* * *

Tenten looked surprised when he visited her that night, but smiled cheerfully at him. She allowed him to come inside and shut the door again. "You want dinner? I'm going to make-"

He cut her off by capturing her lips with his, making her gasp in surprise. Tenten pushed him away when the lack of air started to make her head dizzy. "Neji!"

Neji stared at her closely, his pale eyes somehow darkening strangely, making a shiver ran down her spine. Before she could say anything, Neji grasped her chin with two slender fingers. He glanced at her smooth neck like a predator.

"Now, it's your girl friends' turn to find out our relationship."

* * *

_**Oh, that was suggestive! (At least in my mind.)**_

_**I suggest you to watch – or re-watch, if you have watched – Naruto Shippuden episode 184 (where Neji, Tenten, and Naruto are assigned to get weapons from a blacksmith). Tenten is absolutely awesome in that episode. There are also many NejiTen hints, especially when Neji SMILES at her. Not a smirk. He looks so handsome with that killer smile! And then Neji lets Tenten walk towards a wooden rope bridge first (I don't know about you, but to me it's a gentleman manner). I'm fangirling again. Help!**_

_**Special chapter for Ichigo-chan. I hope this is not disappointing. Please review!**_

narutogoddess,_** I'm also planning to write Kiyomi's interaction with her parents for the next chapter ;)**_


	6. Waterfall

Neji wanted to groan loudly.

Tenten was lying beside him. Her disheveled long hair splayed out across the pillow – he had just broken the ribbons with two fingers, letting it down in soft chocolate waves. Her lips were slightly swollen and there were some pink marks along her neck. In normal condition, he could never resist her, especially when she was _**ready**_ as well, when she looked that beautiful.

The problem was that there was their five years old daughter between his and Tenten's body.

"I can't," Kiyomi whined. "I really cannot sleep. I don't know what's wrong with me."

It was unusual for Kiyomi to sneak out of her room in the middle of the night. She wasn't a timid child who got frightened easily; sleeping in a separated room had never been a problem to her. She always wanted to be treated like a big girl, acting like she didn't need her parents' help even if she actually did. Neji was always proud of his little girl, and honestly he didn't want her to barge into his and Tenten's room at midnight.

Especially when he was in the middle of a heated make out session with Tenten.

Tenten looked less annoyed though. She had opened the door for their daughter after making sure they had looked decent enough.

"Have you just had a nightmare?" Tenten asked.

Kiyomi shook her head. "I haven't fallen asleep yet."

"Well, it's late at night," Tenten said. "You need to sleep now. Do you want me to stay in your room until you fall asleep?"

"No! Can I sleep here?" Kiyomi stared at her mother. "Just for this night, please?"

Neji tried to sound patient. "What's wrong? Are you cold?"

"A little," the Hyuuga girl snuggled deeper under the blanket. "Why doesn't Otou-san wear a shirt? Isn't the weather cold?"

He glanced down at his bare chest and restrained himself from retorting that Tenten had just taken his shirt off when the girl had suddenly knocked the door, which thankfully had been locked. "No."

"Your father is strong," Tenten said, laughing a little. "Cold is not a problem for him."

Kiyomi watched her father carefully with the same pearly eyes as his. "Otou-san, are you mad?"

"No. Why should I be?"

"Because I'm acting like a little kid?"

"Not at all. And you're actually still a-"

"Alright," Tenten cut him off, giving him a look that meant she could handle the little girl. "Now we're going to sleep, Sweetie." She shifted so that one of her arms wrapped around the girl's petite waist. "Close your eyes."

"But I can't fall asleep anyway."

Neji sighed inwardly. If they could make Kiyomi fall asleep soon and quietly carried her back to her room, then they could continue their… interrupted activity. It wasn't that he didn't love his daughter and all, but really, he had been in his best mood to be with Tenten _**only.**_

"It's because you haven't tried," Tenten stated. "After closing your eyes, you could imagine certain places you really like. For example, sunset view in a grassfield, a waterfall…"

"Waterfall?" Kiyomi's pale eyes suddenly lit up. "I've only seen it in my book, Okaa-san! What does it really look like?"

Neji closed his eyes. Nice job, Tenten. Now it seemed that she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon.

"It is… nice," the Weapon Mistress answered. "Well, Kiyomi, we're not going to talk about waterfall now. Let's talk about it tomorrow."

"But I want to know," Kiyomi pouted. Really, where had the good and obedient little girl gone? "I've always wanted to see a waterfall."

"Wait until you become a ninja, then," Neji finally spoke. "When you go outside Konoha village on missions, you could see everything new. Now, sleep and-"

"What are they, Otou-san?" His daughter turned around to face him. "What have you seen after becoming a ninja?"

"You'll see them yourself, Sweetie," Tenten said.

Half ignoring her mother, Kiyomi looked at her father enthusiastically. "Otou-san, could you tell me your story about one of your missions?"

"We've talked about them several times before. _**I'm**_ sleepy right now."

"Don't close your eyes first," Kiyomi urged, somehow in fear. "I won't be able to sleep if you do. It will make me unable to sleep even more!"

"Fine," he sighed in defeat, glancing at his wife and slightly glared at her direction when he saw her hold back a laugh. "Alright, I'm waiting until you fall asleep first."

"But I can't."

Neji rubbed his temple. "What can I do to help you go to sleep?"

Kiyomi smiled. "How about a bedtime story?"

"I… have no bedtime stories."

"I have many bedtime story books! Aunt Hinata gave them for my birthday last year."

"But…"

"Neji," Tenten interrupted suddenly and narrowed her eyes. "Make your daughter happy for once, will you?"

People thought nothing could frighten the Hyuuga Neji, while in fact he could be scared of these two females sometimes. "Fine!" He gave up completely, shifting so his back pressed to the headboard. "Hurry up, get the book."

Beaming, Kiyomi jumped out of the bed and ran to her bedroom to grab her book.

"You shouldn't be like that," Tenten warned him. "Don't act like she's bothering you, Neji! You love her, don't you?"

This time Neji really let out a groan. "I really do. But how was I supposed not to be annoyed after she suddenly knocked our door when we were…" Receiving his wife's glare, Neji stopped what he was about to say. "You're not frustrated?"

"Not really," the brunette kunoichi stated before an amused grin appeared in her face. "Neji, my husband, you shouldn't be defeated by your hormones! It's not like we won't have other nights."

"It's been three weeks, Tenten," Neji reminded. It was true, the last three weeks they had been busy with missions and barely had a chance to spend time together like this. Other than missions, there were meetings with other Jounins or Hyuuga clan, helping Hokage with something, or whatever that had forced him to throw himself onto the bed as soon as he'd got home.

Tenten smiled. "We don't have too much time to be together like this, because we are shinobi," she rubbed his arm lovingly. "But that's what makes our love life precious and interesting." A pause. "Besides, it's one of those rare chances for us to spend a night together, the _**three**_ of us. Cherish it."

Before Neji could say something, Kiyomi appeared with a book in her hand, eagerly asking him to read for her.

Fifteen minutes later, after he finished reading a story for his daughter and his wife who had been listening as well – instead of a story about princess or talking animals, Kiyomi had chosen a story of kunoichi who did her best to protect the village she loved – Neji looked down to see two most important people in his life sleep.

They looked so peaceful, so happy, that he knew whatever each of them was dreaming was a pleasant one. Tenten's relaxed face was so beautiful, and despite how people always said Kiyomi's features resembled her father so much, he noticed the two were very much alike, at least when sleeping.

Tenten was always right. It was one of those rare chances for him to spend a night with them. After adjusting the blankets that covered their bodies, Neji flicked the bedside lamp off and settled himself, facing them. His arm reached over Kiyomi's small head to stroke his wife's hair while he put the other one around his daughter's waist.

At that time, he forgot about shinobi life, about his duties for both Konoha and his clan, about his future missions. All that mattered were Tenten and Kiyomi, that he was a husband and a father.

As he started to drift off to sleep, he made a mental note to request at least a day off for him and Tenten. He wanted to take her and Kiyomi to see a beautiful waterfall, not too far from Konoha boundary.

* * *

_**Was our Neji too OOC? It's pretty hard to keep him in character when you write a plot like this. Then again, I'm sure every man, even as stoic as him has this side in himself. So, yeah.**_

_**I know some of you prefer the NejiTen story, I mean, without their child and all. But I've promised in the last chapter to explore interaction between Kiyomi and her paren**_**ts**_**. Fulfilling my promises is my ninja way! So I hope you enjoy, and please review!**_


	7. Pisces Woman and Cancer Man

_**Warning: Language, OOC-ness.**_

* * *

"Neji! Look at this!"

Neji opened an eye, glancing at a small book in his teammate's hand.

He raised an eyebrow. Usually after their sparring session, they would rest under their favorite tree for a few minutes before going home. He would meditate and she would lie down on the grass or talk to him, whether he would respond or not—honestly Neji didn't like his meditation session interrupted, but he always found he couldn't be angry at this bun haired girl.

It wasn't like her to read a book after training. To top it all off, the cover was orange.

Neji's memory was always sharp, and the book immediately reminded him of the one that Hatake Kakashi always brought with him. His eyes widened in horror—although the phrase didn't suit Hyuuga Neji at all—as he stared at her in disbelief. "Tenten, what?"

"What?" She blinked.

"That's… Icha-Icha Paradise?"

"What…" Tenten cut her own sentence as if remembering something, before her eyes widened and a faint blush crept up her face. "What? No! Do you think I'm some perverted girl who likes reading that stuff?"

Damn. Thank God he was a stoic man who wasn't capable of blushing, or his face would've turned red too. "Oh."

"Neji, just because the cover is orange doesn't mean this book is… what is it, Icha-Icha Paradise? Wait a sec, how do you even know the title?"

Damn that book, damn that Sannin Jiraiya who had created it, damn Naruto and the guys who had talked and teased each other about it when they'd hung out together a while ago, making his former respect for the old Sannin and the masked Jounin ruined a bit—he swore he hadn't known what kind of book it was before that day. "Forget it."

Even with his eyes closed, he knew she was smirking slyly. "Wait until people hear this! Hyuuga Neji is a p—"

"No!" He glared at her. "Don't be ridiculous. Hyuugas will never read that kind of book."

"Fine, then how could you know about it? You've never seemed interested with that novel, even when Kakashi-sensei is around reading it!"

"The same goes for you," he retorted. "How could you know that the book is _**inappropriate**_?"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "It's an open secret. Ino has once warned me, Sakura and Hinata to keep our distance from Jiraiya-sama. Especially Hinata, I guess, since we all know she's got the nicest—"

"What?!" This time, Neji didn't care if he was widening his eyes in horror. "Hinata-sama? Why do you think he will do something to her?"

"Calm down, Neji," Tenten waved a hand and giggled, unaffected by Neji's frantic response. "It's just my afterthought."

He glared at her while making a mental note to keep a watchful eye on Jiraiya. Sure he was a legendary ninja and all, but he wouldn't forgive him once he dared to flirt with his cousin—and _**Tenten. **_Hinata, because she was his little cousin he was supposed to protect, and Tenten? Well, she was his teammate.

Yes, his teammate, and no one had the right to touch her.

"Neji?"

Damn. He crossed his arms and looked away in an attempt to avoid looking stupid. Not to mention the thought of him mistaking her book for some indecent literature made him uncomfortable himself.

Tenten would never read such a thing. No, he had to throw away that thought before all of his self-control he was always proud of completely broken…

"Neji, didn't you say you were going to a family meeting after training?"

Damn Hyuuga and their not-so-important business. He wanted to stay here a bit longer. "They can wait."

She shrugged and shifted closer to him. "Alright, you still have time to be here then. Look at this, Neji."

Indeed, it didn't look like Kakashi's book when he observed it carefully. "What is it?"

"It's about astrology," she answered happily.

He looked at her incredulously. "You believe in astrology?"

"Not really, actually," she answered, looking thoughtful. "But who knows? Sometimes what they say is true!"

The Hyuuga prodigy almost sighed. As a person who'd ever believed in fate, he'd never cared about astrology. But this was Tenten. Sometimes she did childish things, and somehow, he _**liked **_childish Tenten.

She flipped the pages. "Let me read some. I was born on March 9, thus my zodiac is Pisces."

He didn't reply, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Since I'm sure you pay no attention to astrology, Neji, do you know that there are twelve zodiac signs exist?"

He grunted. He couldn't care less with that, but he wasn't that ignorant for not knowing such basic knowledge.

"Well, there's a complete description of each sign," she said. "Pisces. Pisces is ruled by Neptune. It is a water sign, along with Cancer and Scorpio."

He remained silent.

"Pisces is the deepest, most sensitive, and most emotional zodiac sign. Hm, Neji, is that true?"

"… I don't know."

"People born under this sign are creative. They like expressing themselves in their own way, and that's what makes them unique."

This one was true. Neji always thought Tenten was unique and different than any other girl he'd ever met—not that he'd paid much attention to other girls, though. She had unique hairstyle, wore unique clothes, and fought in unique style. Come to think of it, she was the only one in Konoha that could master every single weapon in her hand.

"Pisces love to dream and have wonderful imagination. However, because they are dreamy, they're also idealistic and sometimes get trapped in their own fantasy. Huh?"

Neji wasn't really sure about this one. Years ago, Tenten had said she'd wanted to be like Tsunade. However, after realizing her specialty was weapon, she now wanted to be a legendary kunoichi in her own way, with her own fighting style. All shinobi have dreams, of course, but he knew she wouldn't drown herself in unrealistic dreams.

"They're also…" Tenten's eyebrows furrowed. "What? Weak-willed and get hurt easily when going through hard times? Heck, I'll show them what strong will is! And you, wipe that smirk off of your face!"

Neji snorted in amusement, not making any effort to stop smirking. So, this was the part where astrology wasn't always right. Tenten was not in any way, shape or form a weak-willed girl who got hurt easily. If anything, she was one of the few girls he knew had steel determination.

"That was dead wrong," she mumbled under her breath. "Next. Pisces are kind, loyal, compassionate, and willing to sacrifice everything for people they love. They are good listeners, also enjoy helping others and letting people cry on their shoulder."

His smirk softened. That was absolutely right. Tenten always cared about others' feelings, and most important, she always cared about _**him.**_ She was one of very few people could tolerate him, could understand every meaning behind his silence, helped him train whenever he needed her, worried about him, and everything no one ever did to him. He also trusted her to hear his secrets because he knew she wouldn't judge or blame him.

"Sometimes it's hard for Pisces to follow the rules and routines, especially when their freedom is restricted. They prefer everything spontaneous and sudden. Thankfully I'm not one of your clan members, Neji!"

Neji almost rolled his eyes. It wasn't like he wanted her to be a part of his clan someday. No, where had the thought come from? _**No.**_

"Pisces are easygoing, charming and pleasant. They make great friends because their generous and caring personality. Oh, Neji, isn't that true?"

"… Hn."

"And," she flipped the pages again. "What kind of man does Pisces woman like?"

Neji's eyebrows rose. Not because he wanted to know what kind of man Tenten liked. _**No.**_

"Attracting Pisces women isn't too hard because they can fall in love easily."

Something in his chest stirred and he narrowed his eyes unconsciously. "Do you?"

"What?" She glanced at him.

"Do you… fall in love easily?"

The brunette kunoichi laughed. "Maybe," she admitted, and Neji didn't know why he didn't like the answer. "But not really. I mean, what's the point of loving every attractive man I meet?"

Damn. This girl really confused him sometimes.

"Pisces women can fall in love with a dark person, as long as she knows that deep inside he actually is a good man."

He stiffened. _**Dark. **_Hyuuga Neji. Weren't the words perfect to be combined?

"Pisces woman tends to be attracted to a wounded man that she can nurture, yet she also loves a strong, masculine man with strong self-determination that will protect and guide her." She furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm not really sure about being protected. It feels nice to have a man who can protect me, but if it's just because he thinks I'm not strong enough, I won't forgive him!"

Wounded man. Strong. Masculine. Protective. Hyuuga Neji. Yes.

"As the most sensitive zodiac sign, Pisces woman is very romantic. She loves sweet things like kisses on the cheek, short love letters, or flowers." She laughed shortly. "True, probably. Contrary to what people think, I honestly also have this side in me."

Neji's heart sank a bit. No, he wasn't a romantic guy at all. He wasn't good with kisses, love letters, and flowers. Damn.

"And the last, Pisces love compatibility." She straightened her spine and giggled. "See, Neji? I can be girly sometimes. Well… this sign is best matched with another water sign, either Cancer or Scorpio."

He froze.

"Pisces woman and Cancer man. It is one of best couples in all zodiac signs. They are sensitive, imaginative, and harmonize each other very well. They experience a strong and intense bond from the very beginning. Cancer man is protective and moody, but Pisces woman will fulfill his need for comfort and provide romance in his gloomy life."

He paled.

"They will enjoy every moment, day or night, because they always have the desire to do something together. They know and support each other's strength. Pisces woman is good at creating ideas while Cancer man will put them into action, making them capable to reach their dreams together. They're even able to understand each other without words and will have a happy marriage."

He gulped.

"Pisces woman will do anything to please Cancer man who is very traditional. In return, Pisces woman needs someone like Cancer man who will guide her, because Cancer is a natural leader. This couple can lie awake in bed at night talking for hours. In bed, they are one of the best combinations. Pisces woman somehow can make him break out of his shell and reveal his vulnerable side. Therefore, they can feel comfortable during… um, you know that."

This time, he crossed his legs tighter.

"Finished." She closed her book and grinned sheepishly at him, somewhat innocently, not paying attention to what was wrong with the white eyed man. "Sorry, Neji. I guess you didn't like what you've just heard?"

Damn. He needed meditation soon to collect his self-control back. "… It was fine."

Tenten stretched before smiling at him. "Now, do you still find astrology uninteresting?"

His answer was a lie. "Yes."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Well, it's almost dark," she said. "Don't you want to go home now?"

"You go first."

"Alright," the bun haired girl shrugged. "Even though I'm sure your family's been waiting for you impatiently. See you tomorrow, Neji!"

He didn't reply, still unable to move even after she disappeared.

Damn astrology, damn hormones, and damn Tenten.

Because Neji's zodiac sign was Cancer.

* * *

**_Whether or not astrology exists in Naruto universe, I don't know. Neji and Tenten's zodiac are one of best couples. One more proof xD_**

**_I've never wanted to write OOC characters, or to make fun of Neji like this, but it happened eventually. It's probably the effect after pouring all my unshed tears, sorrow and anger in "Flying with You" (check it out, by the way). That oneshot made me insane._**

**_Review, because people in real life say I lack sense of humor._**


	8. Morning Sunshine

"Otou-san, I promise I'll be a great kunoichi someday."

It was a peaceful early morning in Konoha. There was no one in Konoha graveyard other than a six years old girl who was sitting before a grave. Her brown hair was up in two buns, her eyes had the same color. Her cheeks were pink from excitement and cool spring breeze as she smiled at the name engraved on the gravestone.

"Tomorrow is my first day of academy," she said cheerfully. "I really, really can't wait. I have prepared everything, don't worry."

It had been almost a year since her father had died. She visited her father everyday, sometimes in the morning even before the sun greeted her. On the other days she went there in the evening—while other children usually played together in the park, she would go to her father and _**talk**_ to him, telling him everything about her day.

"I promise, Otou-san. I'll do my best and become a legendary kunoichi like Tsunade-sama." She nodded firmly. "I won't disappoint you."

She was silent for several minutes, enjoying the peaceful moment with her father. She always thought he was there, listening to her, smiling at her even if he couldn't reply.

She was sure her father was there, invisible.

All of a sudden she heard light footsteps. She opened her eyes again in surprise because usually there was no one else visiting the graveyard at that time. Turning her face, she found a boy, probably her age, standing before a grave right next to her father's.

The boy had long brown hair and pale skin. She would've thought _**he**_ was a girl if his features—especially his jaw—wasn't firm and looked somehow strong for a boy at his age. She'd never seen him before, not anywhere in Konoha and not at the graveyard.

Feeling that it wasn't polite to ignore the boy, she greeted him. Her father had always taught her to be nice to everyone, including strangers. "Good morning."

He glanced at her, and she suddenly found herself staring at his eyes. His eyes were white like pearl.

About five seconds passed and he turned his face away again, looking at the grave in front of his feet without saying anything.

"Um…" the bun haired girl started hesitantly. "Hi. I've never seen you before."

He just nodded.

Hating the awkwardness between them, she tried to make a proper conversation again. "Who are you visiting?"

She had to wait patiently for a few seconds. "My father."

"Oh," she looked up at him in surprise from her sitting position. "I'm also visiting my father. Hey, our fathers must've known each other! My father is right beside yours."

He didn't reply. Strange boy, she thought. She should've ignored him if he seemed uninterested to talk to her, but something about him made her curious. And yes, she was always curious about everything.

She noticed he didn't bring flowers for his father. "Why don't you give him flowers?"

The boy glanced at two stalks of white lily she had put on her father's grave before looking away again. "I don't want to."

"You should bring him flowers or something," she said, not giving up on the silent boy. "Everyone brings something when they visit someone's grave. Usually flowers or the deceased person's favorite food."

"I don't want to." He repeated.

"Why, don't you love your father?"

This time, he looked down at her, almost glaring. She narrowed her eyes back at him. She hadn't intended to offend him with that question; she only wanted to know.

"Of course I love him," he said, somewhat angrily.

She only raised an eyebrow before getting an idea. She took one of two lilies for her father, stood up then handed it to him. "This is for your father, then. It's unfair if he doesn't get one while my father gets two."

He didn't move. She waved the flower to tell him to just take it already, but he didn't. Stubborn boy, she sighed inwardly before kneeling down to put it on his father's grave.

"Done," she straightened up and put her hands on her hips, smiling at the two graves. She looked up at the sky. "Oh, it's getting brighter. I have to leave now. See you tomorrow, Otou-san! I'll tell you about my first day of academy."

After bowing to _**her father,**_ she turned to face the boy. "See you later."

He watched her with those strange eyes—now she could see them more clearly with the help of morning sunlight—unreadable and mystifying. She couldn't help knowing there were emotions in them, regardless of how cold they looked.

She also didn't know why those eyes made it hard to close her eyes to sleep that night.

* * *

She grinned at him. "You again."

He said nothing, only standing silently beside her, in front of his father's grave.

"So, Neji, where have you been? It's been a week." She had found out his name on the first day of academy because they were actually in the same class. She doubted he knew her name since he was so quiet, always sitting alone in the corner. He almost never talked to anyone else. "Call me Tenten, by the way."

From her friends, she knew that he was a member of Hyuuga, one of the strongest and richest clans in Konoha and the owner of beautiful white eyes. It didn't surprise her somehow; he had an aura that told her he came from a famous family.

"I come here everyday, you know," Tenten said again, knowing that he wouldn't give any response to her former question. "That way, I don't have to miss my father."

"Your father isn't here anymore."

"Eh?" She blinked.

"Your father," Neji repeated quietly. "Isn't here anymore. It's just his body lying underneath the grave."

She shrugged, part of her saying to herself that it was the first time she heard him talk that long. "Whatever. I feel like he's here. And he will always listen to me, that's why I always talk to him."

He didn't speak again.

"My father died from an illness," she told him. "He'd been sick for years. How about your father?"

A few silent seconds, then, "You don't need to know."

Tenten narrowed her eyes, half irritated and half pitying him. How could this boy ever get a friend if he always acted this way? "Right, I don't need to know. I was just offering ears to listen, though." She stood up and bowed to her father's grave. "See you, Otou-san. I'm going to train now. It's Sunday and I don't need to go to academy."

She waved to the quiet boy, half-heartedly. "Goodbye."

That time, she left before the sun rose, leaving him behind.

* * *

"You come again."

It was three months later. He stood again there, looking down at his father's grave with his colorless eyes. Tenten sighed. "Your father must've been sad."

She hadn't expected him to reply in less than five seconds. "Why?"

The bun haired girl stared at him seriously. "You haven't visited him for three months. He must've missed you."

"Why do you come here everyday?"

It wasn't like him to ask a question, so she gladly answered. "Because I love my father so much. What else?" When he didn't say anything again, she continued. "I come here everyday, sometimes at dawn, sometimes evening."

A silence passed between them. Tenten watched him intensely while he remained unmoved. Three months being his classmate, she'd learned that Neji was a genius. It was almost unbelievable, but he was good at everything, whether it was theory or practice. He was cool, quiet, a member of a noble clan in Konoha, and a genius. Oh, and good-looking too. She heard almost every girl had a crush on him—even though he never paid attention to them—and every teacher always praised him. Even boys were jealous of him. However, he had _**no**_ friends.

She thought he would be _**perfect**_ if he was sociable. But then again, nobody was perfect.

Honestly she didn't like him too much—he was too quiet while she was too cheerful—but she decided maybe she could help him. Maybe she could be his friend if she asked him to train together, since training was likely the only thing he loved.

But the main reason why she wanted to help him was those eyes that made her want to know him better. Those white eyes that always watched everything silently. Those white eyes that when she looked at them deeply, she would find some emotions she knew he was always trying to hide behind his stoic character.

"Hey, Neji," she started carefully. "Wanna train with me after this?"

He looked down at her, and she continued. "Do you like weapons? I have many actual weapons—not the wood ones that academy students use for practice. I train with them secretly, because our sensei won't allow us to touch actual weapons yet."

She waited until finally he nodded.

She grinned at him with satisfaction, then at her father's grave. "Look, Otou-san. This is my new friend, Neji. He is from Hyuuga clan, you know? He is very good at everything, so maybe I can learn much from him."

Kneeling down, she took a white lily from the grave and stood again. She turned to Neji and held her hand out. "For your father. And as a symbol of our friendship."

He stared at her, and she stared back, trying to read the emotions in his eyes to no avail, before he finally took the flower from her hand, and her heart soared with happiness.

The sun started to rise as well.

* * *

"Hey, Neji."

"Hn."

They were sitting together again in front of their father's graves. The graveyard was quiet as always, the air was crisp and the sun hadn't appeared yet. It was another peaceful moment she'd always loved.

"I've never thought that we would be teammates," Tenten said to the Hyuuga prodigy beside her. "Our fathers… do you think they've known from the moment we met here?"

He didn't look at her. "No. Why do you always believe things like that?"

"Why do you never believe things like that?" she asked back. "Because of fate?"

His reply was confusing. "I don't know."

Tenten heaved a sigh. Ever since she'd found out about what had happened to Neji and his father years ago, she'd gotten used to him relating everything to fate. It had been almost one year since Iruka-sensei had placed them on a same team, and he hadn't changed.

Yes, he'd changed, only a bit though. At least now he didn't mind _**talking**_ to her. He still never smiled, only cocky smirks every now and then. He was still the cold Hyuuga prodigy, the number one genius from academy. She'd been his training partner for years and she knew she was the only one he could become this close to. They still visited their fathers' graves whenever they were on a day off, not being away from Konoha due to missions. She still talked to her father, and he was still always silent, not saying a word to his father even if she forced him to. Sometimes though, he joined her to buy some flowers at the florist for their fathers. At least now he brought flowers for his father. Sometimes.

Still, there were many times when she hated him. Whenever he talked harshly to Lee, whenever he underestimated weak people with his sharp tongue, or whenever it seemed that he crawled back into his hard shell—despite the fact that they'd known each other for a long time.

Yet, she still admired those white eyes.

"Let's go."

She closed her eyes when he stood up, turning around to head to their training ground.

Unlike other mornings, the sunbeams that started to radiate were a bit pale and somehow cold.

* * *

"Otou-san," Tenten said cheerfully, "I'm a Chuunin now! Isn't that great?"

There was no answer, of course, but she knew her father was smiling proudly at her now. Her brown eyes shimmered with happiness as she put a bouquet of white lilies on her father's grave. Usually she didn't bring this much, but it was her special day and she wanted to share her joy with her father too.

"I've worked really hard for this. This really motivates me to become stronger, to become the strongest kunoichi I've always strived for all this time."

She sighed and bowed to her father. "Please keep supporting me, Otou-san. I know you're watching me and I won't make you regret having me as your daughter." When she lifted her head again, she grinned. "Oh, and now Neji has surpassed me to the Jounin level! I don't know whether I have to be happy for him or not. I mean, I know he's better than me, but—uh, he will force me to train harder mercilessly in order to get to the same level as him soon! That pompous man."

Neji, who was standing beside her, snorted without giving any comment on her babble about him. He'd given a bouquet of white lilies to his father too, considering it was also his special day. Tenten knew his father was very proud of him, prouder than what was possible. Neji surely was the strongest Branch member, even stronger than almost of all Main Family members—and because he was still very young, she knew he had a potential to surpass _**all **_of them.

He was less cold now. Sure, he was still the arrogant Hyuuga prodigy that she wanted to smack—although he was too fast and she hardly had a chance to smack him—for more than one occasion, but he was far nicer than before now. If years ago their friendship had only revolved around training ground and graveyard, now it had extended to other places in Konoha. Ramen shop, barbeque restaurant, weapon shop, even hot springs—_**separated**_ hot springs. She also often invited him over to her apartment for a lunch or just for asking him to do some things for her such as fixing her broken water faucet or changing her bulbs because she had this kind of fear of electricity.

Those weren't the only things that had changed in the past few years. As they were becoming closer each day, she felt something she wasn't sure of yet.

Something that made her breathless whenever their skin brushed, whenever he was sitting dangerously close next to her, whenever he gave her his rare smile, whenever he showed his care for her, or whenever he talked to her in a soft tone.

The one she liked the most was whenever his white eyes stared into hers for more than five seconds. It always left her shivering—in a _**pleasant **_way.

"Your father is waiting for you to say something again, I guess."

She snapped out of her reverie and glared at him. "I've finished."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I know there's another thing you want to tell him."

"No," she lied. She obviously wouldn't talk about this to her father, not when Neji was standing beside her. Besides, she knew her father knew what she was hiding from everyone. From Neji. Smiling at the warm rays of morning sunshine, she stood up. "Let's go train now, shall we?"

* * *

"It's my birthday!"

She was smiling broadly, staring down at her father's grave from her standing position, welcoming the fresh air on an early spring. She'd become a Jounin last year, so she was lucky that Hokage-sama let her enjoying her birthday without any mission. Even though there was something missing.

She sighed audibly. "Too bad Neji isn't here."

"Are you sure?"

She quickly spun around, finding an amused Hyuuga a few steps behind her. "Ne-Neji, when did you come back?"

"Just a few minutes ago." He stated, his white eyes didn't leave hers. "What were you saying about me?"

"Well," she tried her best not to blush, "it's just that… you used to be here, isn't it?"

Instead of teasing her more further, he just caught her with his powerful stare. She felt nervous all of a sudden and didn't know why. "What, Neji?"

He took a few steps until they were close, she refrained from taking a step back. He held out his right hand which she hadn't noticed he'd been hiding behind him.

It was a bouquet of white lilies, somehow matched his colorless eyes.

He cleared his throat and looked away. "Happy birthday."

That was awkward, to say the least. This wasn't the Neji everyone knew. It wasn't like him at all. Still, she couldn't help feeling her heart soar, just like that very old day when she'd given him a stalk of white lily and he'd accepted it. Only this time, her heart was flying higher.

Smiling, she reached the flowers and hoped their fathers were watching them right now. They'd seen them grow together for years, after all. "Thank you, Neji."

She was glad when he finally turned his eyes to look at her. Morning sunlight was reflected beautifully on his translucent eyes.

* * *

"I… I want to ask for your permission."

Despite the fact that the situation was supposed to be serious, and Neji really looked serious, Tenten couldn't help chuckling.

He glared at her before turning his eyes to the ground. Very un-Neji like.

"The first time I met Tenten here, I thought of nothing. I didn't know what would happen years later." Neji's eyebrows furrowed. "At that time, I was still that bitter boy who could only talk about fate. And Tenten… she was the same as she is now."

She smiled.

"However, things changed then. I've no longer blamed the fate that I was born as a Branch Family member. I've no longer thought that we couldn't change fate. I've learned that we could always choose our own path."

He took a deep breath. "And I've learned about freedom from Tenten. The first time I met her here, I thought she was silly, talking alone to the grave. But then she showed me that we could choose to be happy. Never once have I seen her mourn her past."

She closed her eyes upon hearing his words. "She was my first friend ever. She didn't back away even if I treated her coldly and never said any word to her. She didn't leave me, instead asking me to train with her. We were finally put on the same team, and continued to train together, until this time. I know they aren't wrong when saying behind every strong man, there's an even stronger woman."

He clenched his fists. "I'm… I'm sorry that I've never talked to you before. I was really stupid, not listening to Tenten when she told me to talk to you. But please don't get me wrong. I love you. Both of you. My father, because you're the reason why I still survive after all this time, and Tenten's father, because without you, there wouldn't be Tenten in this world for me."

A short silence then.

"Now I'm asking for your consent. I want to marry her. After knowing each other for a very long time, I realized I couldn't be with anyone else. I want someone who can teach me what freedom and happiness are, and that's Tenten. There is no one else. I cannot promise anything, to Tenten or to you. The only thing I know is I want to be together with her until the end."

He bowed to the graves, and then turned to the bun haired woman beside him, signaling something.

The Weapon Mistress breathed deeply. "Otou-san… and Hizashi-sama. First, I want to thank you for watching us from somewhere. Talking to you has really helped me overcome difficult situations all this time, Otou-san."

She displayed a small smile. "Neji was too stubborn. I couldn't make him talk to you, Hizashi-sama, but I know that he loves you as what he said. He really loves you, otherwise he wouldn't be here now."

A soft breeze caressed their faces. "At first, I didn't like Neji. He was too quiet! He didn't even talk to me even when I attempted to have a conversation with him." She chuckled. "But then, I knew how strong he was from the early days of academy. He didn't say anything, but he motivated me to become stronger, too. I didn't want to lose."

She knew he was glancing at her amusedly. "And finally, I… I realized that I've loved him. He always said I helped him to become this strong, when in fact, he was one of the reasons why I was training hard. Now, I want to be always with him. He is the man I choose. I know you trust him, just like I trust him to hold my heart."

She shut her chocolate eyes to prevent tears that suddenly formed. "Otou-san… Hizashi-sama. Please keep watching us." And the tears finally slipped down to her cheeks. "Because you're still here. You're not going anywhere. I believe that."

Then it was a peaceful silence, before Neji broke it.

"Stop crying," he said to her quietly. "You've never cried here before."

She smiled and rubbed her eyes. He was true. She'd even only cried on the day his father had passed away. After that, she'd not cried about it anymore. And she'd never cried in front of her father's grave. "Right. I'm sorry." She looked at him, now with dry eyes. "And that was the first time I saw you talking to our fathers. I didn't expect you to talk that much."

He smirked. "That wouldn't be the last time. I've decided to talk again everytime we come here."

Her eyes lit up. "Great. Then the four of us will have wonderful conversations." Watching his white eyes shone in somewhat tenderness and warmth—not coldness, she then stood on her tiptoes, pecking his lips lightly in affection.

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think it wasn't a good thing to do in front of our fathers?"

She grinned. "It wasn't a bad thing." Her hand reached for his before she intertwined their fingers together. "They understand. They've been watching us grow up. We are not kids anymore."

His lips curled up.

"Come on," she tugged his hand. "Let's go."

They bowed to their fathers' graves with joined hands before walking away together. Fresh sunlight softly brightened the horizon, making a silver ring glint on one of Tenten's finger. A small symbol of their feelings and hopes for future.

And they knew, their fathers were watching with a smile on both of their faces.

* * *

_**Apologize for the not-like-Neji-at-all. Neji giving Tenten flowers usually isn't something I'd like to write, but it's just irresistible. And about their mothers, I don't really know how I should mention them.**_

_**Busy days have just started, however, I know I'll keep writing because I tend to write**__**—**__**and read**__**—**__**whenever I desperately need a break from crazy assignments. It's my way of reducing stress. Please review! Longest chapter, by the way ;)**_


	9. In Love with Your Strength

Worthy.

What did the word really mean?

She was always trying to be useful for her village. She was always trying to become a strong kunoichi. She was always trying to do something for people she loved.

Dammit, she hadn't decided to become a kunoichi for nothing. She did everything she could, she always did.

Yet, some people didn't know her. They never saw her sweats, never heard her exhausted breathing, never knew how much hard work she endured.

"_**She lacks ninjutsu and can't use genjutsu."**_

"_**She's an orphan, right? We don't know anything about her childhood. She doesn't even have a last name."**_

"_**Poor Tenten. She doesn't have any clan and bloodline limit. She must be the weakest of all Konoha Eleven."**_

"_**Unlike her two powerful teammates, she is useless in the battle."**_

"_**Temari of the Sand beat her smoothly in Chuunin exam. Bet even Sakura, Ino and Hinata could kick her ass easily too."**_

"_**I heard she did nothing useful."**_

"_**She does nothing much in Team Gai. Lee is a taijutsu master and Neji is a genius while she is nothing."**_

It wasn't new for Tenten, hearing some people talking that way about her. In fact, every shinobi had to go through hard times in their life as they became the object of gossips for Konoha people, especially civilians. Shinobi life was hard. When they did something wrong, people talk. When they did something good, though, people also talk. There was nothing she could do about this. After all, her friends, even as great as Neji, was also bound to experience this sometimes. It was somehow fair. Whoever you were, whatever you did, there would always be some people that didn't like you.

"_**She doesn't have any techniques except that scroll of hers. What's good about her kunai and shuriken anyway?"**_

"_**She's weak and I don't like the fact that all she can do is throwing different projectiles from her huge scroll.**__**"**_

"_**She's underdeveloped. Throwing kunai with accuracy is a skill that every high level ninja has**__**."**_

"_**Because throwing kunai and bringing out weapons from a scroll is nothing special."**_

"_**Nothing is extraordinary about her, isn't it?"**_

"_**Tenten is just a Neji fangirl with a few tricks up her sleeves that won't get her out of anything."**_

At first, she didn't care. She wasn't an oversensitive girl. As a kunoichi, she didn't think people's words could affect her career. All she need was training hard with Team Gai, with weapons, and succeeding every mission given to her, until she'd been promoted to Jounin level a few months ago. For years, she'd gotten used to people talking bitter things about her. Sometimes it bugged her, but then she always pushed it aside. She thought if she worked hard, people would stop talking.

However, the talk didn't seem would stop. In fact, the amount of whispers she heard when she was sitting alone in a restaurant or the strange glances she received when she passed a group of people on a street only increased after people found out she was dating Neji.

"_**I honestly hope she won't end up with Neji. Neji is something powerful while she is not."**_

"_**What? I thought Neji didn't care about her!"**_

"_**It will be a waste. Neji is one of the strongest in his clan. If he marries Tenten, an orphan without a last name, their children will be a waste. They probably won't possess Byakugan."**_

"_**Poor Tenten. I think Neji is just using her for training purpose only, and is dating her just so he will gain power from training with a girl who will do anything for him."**_

"_**My friend told me that Hyuuga Elders didn't approve their relationship."**_

"_**Don't you think Neji deserves someone better and more competent than her?"**_

Again, she had tried not to think of it too much. To no avail. She had acted cool all this time, until the gossipers dragged Neji into this.

She started to think if all they said was true.

Was Neji just using her? Was she too _**nothing**_ for Neji?

She knew everyone in Konoha knew who Neji was. Everyone knew he was one of the skilled, strongest Hyuuga that had ever existed. He had everything; strength, look, wealth, manner, and people's respect. He was a miracle.

She knew everyone in Konoha also knew who Tenten was. Everyone knew she was an orphan without a last name, with ordinary look—not ugly but not too stunning, ordinary living place, and not-too-interesting weapon skills. Nothing about her was outstanding, unlike Neji in every way.

The situation only worsened after a tough A-ranked mission with a few other Jounin including Neji. There had been about eight enemies blocking their way, forcing them to fight. Her opponent had been a confident man, a close-range fighter. He'd ranted about how _**useless**_ she'd been in their battle. Knowing that Tenten hadn't possessed any bloodline limit—unlike him—he'd laughed while she'd knelt down to catch a breath and control her nearly drained chakra. His words—_**useless, weak, worthless**_—had echoed in her head, making it hard for her to stand up again. Her comrades had been busy fighting their opponents themselves, so no one had noticed when the man had launched an attack at her.

Somehow she hadn't moved an inch.

And somehow, Neji had been in front of her, receiving the strike meant for her.

She didn't want to remember what had happened afterward, the only thing she was aware of was that it all had resulted in Neji staying in the hospital for a few next days.

She had apologized to him—and half blamed him—for it. He had scolded her back, saying what would've happened if he'd not seen the opponent preparing his attack. He'd also said that he hadn't regretted anything about hurting himself just to protect her. Still, she got this uneasy feeling in her chest.

She started to ask herself, was she really that _**worthless?**_

Was she weak? Was using weapons nothing special? Did she really never do anything useful for anyone?

She felt helpless and it made her feel even weaker.

"What's bothering you?" Neji asked suddenly from beside her.

Neji had just left the hospital after three days of recovery, and instead of going home, he'd decided to go to her place. It was his second home, after all. It was the first place came to his mind whenever he needed to get away from people in Hyuuga compound.

Snapping out of her reverie, she looked away. "Nothing."

He didn't respond, so she stood up from the couch, intending to make something to eat. "Dinner?"

He nodded before standing up too to follow her to the kitchen. "I'll help."

"No need," she said. "Just sit and watch."

She was relieved when he obeyed, sitting in a chair silently. She knew, though, that he was staring at her back as she busied herself.

"Are you sure you don't need my hands? You don't look so well now."

"I'm fine," Tenten insisted, cursing inwardly for the fact that the knife she was using for cutting onions was blunt. Apparently she only took care of her weapons without ever remembering to polish her kitchen knives too. "Stop talking about it."

She waited because she knew he would give a response. She was right. "Are you upset because of what he said?"

This time, Tenten had gotten impatient and threw the dull knife into the sink, but she could tell he didn't even flinch at the sound. Reaching into her kunai pocket, she grabbed the sharpest one without even looking—she knew all of her weapons as if they were her body parts. "I'm not."

He was silent while she was chopping the onions harshly, with a greater force than what was needed. She felt sorry for them, however.

"I heard all he said while fighting."

She didn't answer.

"Tenten," he called her, somewhat carefully. "I know what's on your mind. Throw it away."

She continued chopping the poor onions even though they were already sliced into shapeless pieces.

"Don't make yourself feel bad hearing those words. He didn't know you."

This time, she stabbed the wooden cutting board with her kunai while shouting. "They don't know!"

The whole kitchen fell into a deep silence while she regained her breath.

"They don't know," she said in a lower voice. "They don't know, yet they say all those things about me!"

Stabbing the cutting board repeatedly, she continued. "They don't know! They don't know how hard I've worked all this time until I reached Jounin level! They don't know how difficult it is to keep pace with you, Lee, and Gai-sensei! They don't know how hard it is having people think I am weak and useless!"

"Stop it," Neji said in a commanding tone which she ignored.

She didn't know if it was the effect of the onions or her bursting emotions that made her vision start to blur. The cutting board was almost broken completely. "They don't know what it is like to follow the shinobi rule for not showing emotions, even after hearing all those words they say about me! They don't know what it feels like to keep smiling and being myself in front of them! They don't know!"

She heard Neji's footsteps behind her. "Tenten, stop!"

"They don't know that I know I am worthless for being with you, that I don't deserve someone as great as you! They don't know that I've tried to stop loving you and make you stop loving me!"

"I said stop!" Neji shouted harshly from behind her, tugging her hand and somehow the kunai was in his hand before he hurled it to the window. The next thing she heard was a loud shattering sound—the window glass broke into sharp pieces and after that it was like everything in the room tensed, as if no one dared to bother Neji.

She stopped shivering.

For almost fifteen seconds later, the only sound heard was their breathing. She couldn't look at Neji, and even if she could, she wasn't sure she would have the courage to do it.

"You hurt me so much."

Her eyes widened. Neji's voice was deep, stabbing her heart like an ice sword.

"Have you really tried to stop loving me?"

She felt cold all of a sudden. The thought honestly scared her. She couldn't. She couldn't do it, no matter how she thought she really had to stop loving him, stop needing him.

"I never think of you as weak and useless. Even if you say so, or many people say so, I don't think you shouldn't deserve me. You deserve my respect, because I know you've worked hard to become this strong, then again, you helped _**me**_ to become strong. I owe you so much. We grew up together. You fight with me, even if you're behind me to protect my blind spot."

Her tears kept falling.

"People will always want us to be a person we couldn't be and don't need to be. You shouldn't change anything about yourself, even if they compare you to other shinobi that they think are stronger. We are what we are, we are shinobi, we do what we are supposed to do. Words don't mean anything for us; actions do."

She heard his deep and long breath. It was rare to see Neji losing his control like this. "You don't know how much I want to pummel those who say mean things about you. Tenten, don't ever think you're the only one gets hurt because of this. They hurt me too. But for _**your**_ sake, I don't care, I close my ears, moreover for the civilians who could only gossip about shinobi while in fact they also need us."

She bit her lips to stifle her sobs.

"I know how hard it is. I know even a girl as strong as you has limits, that you're actually sick of this. But now, for my sake, Tenten, don't ever listen to them again. They refuse to know you better. They don't want to try to know you. Those who know nothing about you don't deserve your attention. Besides," he gripped her shoulders suddenly, forcing her to turn around and face him. "You still have people who know how strong you are. Lee and Gai-sensei. Our close comrades. And me. Because we know that you're always doing your best."

Now she could see his face, hard and full of emotions—and heartbreaking. "Nothing they say will ever change what I think of you. I don't care. Our relationship is ours, not theirs. And you'd better forget about making me stop loving you, because you will never get it."

He inhaled deeply, looking into her eyes firmly to emphasize his next words. "I've fallen in love with your strength for years."

She wished she could stop crying.

Neji hugged her, pulling her so close to him that she was sure it almost hurt.

"Never think that you are what they think," Neji breathed. She wondered if he really sounded scared. "For my sake, Tenten, never think that way again."

"Never," she whispered back, warmth slowly spread from her body to her heart. "Never again, Neji."

And she really meant it.

They stayed like that for minutes later until her swollen eyes grew heavy, until she was too tired and had to lean herself completely to his body, until she suddenly felt herself being carried to her room. She kept her eyes shut, relishing the feeling of Neji's protective arms supporting her, falling asleep even before they reached her bed.

One more thing; they didn't know how much Neji loved her.

* * *

She could be stupid sometimes. She thought about bad things people said about her and felt bad for herself, while she forgot about the good things people said and didn't feel good for that. Sometimes she forgot people around her that loved her, people that believed she was a strong kunoichi.

"_**How excellent, my youthful flower! You are truly skilled with weapons. I'm proud to be your teacher! I should tell Kakashi about this, don't you think?"**_

"_**Yosh, Tenten! What a marvelous jutsu! You have developed it yourself, haven't you? If only Gai-sensei was here to see it!"**_

"_**That was… impressive. I think I should perfect my Kaiten more if you can attack me that way."**_

"_**Hey, isn't that Tenten, the Weapon Mistress? Look at her big scroll! It looks cool. I heard she could summon thousands of weapons from it and throw them with perfect aim!"**_

"_**Indeed, her fighting style is unique. No one can handle weapons better than her."**_

"_**Tenten nee-chan! Teach us how to throw weapons with one hundred percent accuracy, pretty please, pretty please?"**_

"_**I envy you sometimes. If only Naruto, Sasuke and I were like you, Neji and Lee… Don't ever lose them, Tenten."**_

"_**I know dealing with two Green Beasts and an emotionless prodigy on a team is troublesome, but you're doing a great job. Ino would've been crazy by now if she were in your position."**_

"_**Last mission was a great success. I'm glad I made a good decision to assign a weapon specialist to the team. You saved their lives. Good job, Tenten."**_

"_**Team Gai needs you, even if it means you support them from behind and fight in the back. Your teamwork is perfect."**_

"_**Thank you for helping us. You're really a caring person!"**_

"_**Man, if only she didn't always have Hyuuga beside her, I would ask her out! She's my kind of girl."**_

"_**Don't mess up with Tenten. She's not weak, she can slice your hands off in a second! Besides, can't you see Hyuuga glares at every man who stares too long at her?"**_

"_**So you and Neji are dating now? Dammit, Tenten, finally you both opened your eyes!"**_

"_**Isn't that Tenten? Somehow I'm glad that the Hyuuga prodigy finally found a cheerful girl like her. I think he is less cold now."**_

"_**Tenten-san. A-ano, my father invites you to come over for dinner tonight. He said he wanted to know you better. I… I think he's interested in you."**_

"_**I will help convincing the Elders that you are indeed the perfect choice for Neji. I trust my nephew to you. Please keep making him happy."**_

She opened her eyes a bit to see Neji sleeping beside her, looking vulnerable and relaxed as if he wasn't that strong fighter people knew. Smiling, she snuggled closer into his warmth as his words echoed in her head.

"_**Tenten… thank you for everything. I wouldn't be this strong without you."**_

* * *

It was a week later. The last mission which Neji had injured himself to protect her had been a failure as the enemies had escaped shortly after the accident, and Tenten had promised herself that she wouldn't let go of that man. Thus, after Hokage assigned them to the next mission related to that particular man—because Konoha's business with him hadn't finished yet—she was impatient to do something _**useful.**_

She wouldn't fail Neji, one of people that trusted her as a strong kunoichi.

Now, facing the said man in a forest, she stood confidently with hard determination in her beautiful brown eyes.

"I'm going to do what I should do. I'm not weak, useless and worthless as what you said," she said sternly. "I don't care if you think so, but to people that are always beside me, I'm not. And that's what's more important."

The man narrowed his eyes, and she smugly noticed when he swallowed visibly.

"I'll always do something as best as I can; for my village, for my comrades and for people I'm supposed to protect." She raised her katana, the one Neji had given her on her birthday last year. "Because I'm Tenten. A clanless kunoichi from Konoha without any bloodline limit who knows very well the meaning behind hard work."

Behind her, Neji smiled proudly. Knowing exactly who would win the battle, he knew he just had to stand where he was and watch. She wouldn't need his help at all.

Her eyes sparkled with _**strength**_ like the katana in her hand. "Come and get me."

* * *

_**(A/N):**_ I got the inspiration to write this after discussing the whole thing with _**FruitySmell.**_ If only we could meet in person, we'd talk about this for twenty four hours nonstop. Go PM her if you want to ask something, she'll provide youthful theories for you!

You probably think I'm dramatizing or exaggerating this topic, but being Tenten's fan for many years, I know some people dislike her—either they're die-hard fangirls of one particular pairing that includes Neji (I'm sure you know which one) or guys who prefer typical shoujo characters than an independent girl like Tenten. Everything I mentioned above is really what people said in some websites. The bashing sentences are real, not my own ideas (except in the part where people knew she was dating Neji and disapproved their relationship).

I'm not saying Tenten has no fans, but I have to say many people also rant that she is useless, weak, a waste of ink, loses every battle she gets into, just appears in the pointless fillers, that Neji didn't give a damn about her, etc. She indeed doesn't appear often in the manga, but from the very beginning she's not a weak kunoichi and she's not anyone's fangirl. She works hard just like Neji and Lee. Unlike most shinobi, she doesn't need a last name, famous parents, and any bloodline limit to be strong. In an interview, Kishimoto also stated he preferred Tenten out of the four Konoha 11 girls because he liked her design. Therefore, she's not a waste of ink. Just because other female characters appear more often than her doesn't mean she's the weakest. Oh, and according to my shipping glasses, Neji _**did **_care about her. Ask me for evidences and I'll gladly talk about it.

I'm sorry for grumbling, it's the aftereffect of a long discussion with this fruit I mentioned above. Show Tenten some love!


	10. I Remember You

Apologize. I was supposed to finish a few requests, but really, my brain decided to finish this one first.

Disclaimer: The song is not mine.

* * *

That night, Hyuuga compound was quiet as always. A brown haired woman made her way to one of the suites, before sliding the door open to walk in. Closing it behind her, she smiled when she heard noises from the kitchen.

A minute later, she stood in the kitchen's door and saw a male figure standing before a stove.

She smiled. "I'm back."

He turned around, his lips lifted upwards to greet her. "Welcome home."

She inhaled deeply to relish the delicious smell in the air. "Mm. What is it?"

"Curry," he answered, carrying a large steamy bowl to the low dining table. "It's spicy, so get prepared."

She knew very well that Neji had never liked spicy foods. But everything had changed.

At least that was what she told herself everyday.

"_Wait," Tenten stopped walking and looked around. "I guess I'm familiar with this place…"_

"_Of course, Tenten my friend!" Lee exclaimed happily. "On our way back to Konoha, we shall visit Karashi and__—__"_

"_No." Neji interrupted firmly._

"_Eh?" Lee turned around to face his rival. "Why not, my youthful rival? I've been longing to taste the Curry of Life again!"_

"_I said no."_

"_But," the bowl-haired boy cried, "why don't you like it, Neji? Why?"_

_Neji crossed his arms and glared, with sullen expression that she couldn't help but grin at his cuteness. "Stop pouting, Neji. You know you can ask for the normal curry!"_

_Now he glared at her. "The old woman still made it spicy the last time I asked her not to," he stated. "I'm not going to eat that again."_

_To her ears, he was stating, "I'm Hyuuga Neji and no food will ever humiliate me by knocking me unconscious again."_

Shaking her head, she laughed and walked to sit down across him. "Don't feel smug! I like spicy foods."

He smirked and prepared a plate for her graciously, which made her smile. It wasn't uncommon, but not too common either for a man to cook for dinner, serving his wife who had just come back from a mission—gentlemanly.

"How was your mission?"

"It went smoothly. The captain was Shikamaru, after all," she answered, taking a spoonful of rice and still-hot curry. She savored it and her chocolate eyes brightened instantly. "Oh, it's delicious! How can you cook well even if you're busy with missions and such?"

"I'm learning, of course."

She eyed him with a wide smile. "You know, sometimes I wonder why don't you stop being a ninja and change your career to become a cook."

He snorted in amusement. "Are you sure about that?"

She giggled and shook her head. "No. I always prefer a shinobi."

She could picture it, the way Neji fought with his Hyuuga-ness, with Byakugan, with perfect Jyuuken, Kaiten, or Hakke Kusho, which all of them she always thought were beautiful, like elegant dances. Then again, Hyuugas were elegant.

"Good. Because I always prefer a kunoichi, too."

"Not just that," she said. "I like watching you fight."

He stared at her with those lavender eyes, those eyes that she had always loved so much, those eyes that she was sure always watched her even when he was not around, those eyes that she always missed even when he was here, he was with her.

"Thank you."

She offered him a sweet smile. "My pleasure."

They ate in silence afterwards. Sometimes she loved silence, and she knew he did too.

She and Neji had always loved silence. In silence, there had been an unspoken bond, there had been everything more meaningful than just words. In silence, they had become stronger together.

She watched him quietly, smiling at his flawlessness. Those magnificent Hyuuga eyes, those smooth eyebrows, that impeccable pale skin, that strong and masculine jawline, that perfect nose, those captivating lips, that annoying but undeniably gorgeous smirk. Unfortunately, she wasn't fond of his short brown hair now. She had always liked men's long hair.

It didn't matter, though, she told herself inwardly for the hundredth time. Everything had changed. Yes, everything had changed, and she wasn't going to ask him to grow his hair just so that she would be happy.

"Do you have a mission tomorrow?"

She blinked. "No. I guess I'll just get the laundry done tomorrow. I also haven't cleaned this house for… what, weeks? How about you?"

"I'll leave before dawn," he told her. "And won't be back until the next five days."

Sighing, she tried to erase the stupid unpleasant feeling that always came whenever he was about to leave for days. "Be safe."

"Of course. Just make sure you won't die from hunger because there won't be me here to cook for you."

In their old days, she had barely seen Neji cook. Then again, everything had changed now.

"_You want to help me? Okay, then take the eggs." Tenten pointed at the eggs with her chin, because both her hands were busy. "Do you like fried eggs?"_

"_Hn." Neji took two eggs and walked to the stove. She only heard some sounds__—__the stove being turned on, the eggs being cracked, and something being cooked in the pan. A few minutes later, she turned around to look at his work__—__only to stare at it in horror._

"_Neji! What did you do?"_

_The Hyuuga genius stared at the pan too, eyebrows furrowed in what she thought were frustration and confusion, eyeing the completely failed fried eggs. "I guess I made a mistake."_

_She rolled her eyes. "A mistake? There were a few! You weren't supposed to break them with chakra on your fingertips! Look, some of the eggshell's pieces had to join the contents into the pan. Plus, the heat you're using is too high. And flip it carefully!"_

_He frowned. "Isn't it woman that's supposed to be a good cook?"_

"_Sexist," Tenten muttered under her breath. "Fine, but this is only simple fried eggs. And you're Hyuuga Neji, you're expected to be able to do almost everything!"_

_His frown deepened. "I'm a human."_

"_Right," she sighed and pushed him away from in front of the stove to turn it off. "Anyway, who wants to eat this? Now just sit and watch, and don't touch anything."_

"_I cooked fried eggs several times before, and I ate them."_

_She didn't believe him. "Really? Then I wonder why you're still alive."_

"_I'm serious," he said in a monotone voice. "Even when Hanabi was sick a few months ago and I had to cook for her, I made one."_

_This time Tenten turned around to look at him incredulously. "And she ate it?"_

"_Yes."_

_She didn't know who'd been sillier; Neji or Hanabi._

"As if I'm completely useless in cooking," she shot him a glare. "Just so you know, I even always cooked for myself when I was still in acade—"

"I know," he cut her off with a playful smirk. "Just be safe, too. Take good care of yourself."

Neji had always cared about little things, she thought. She nodded. "I will. Have you prepared everything for the mission?"

"Yes."

"I'll wash the dishes then," she started to collect the plates before standing up. "Do some meditation or sharpen your weapons or something while I'm finishing this."

"No, I think I'm going to bed now," he answered, watching her walk to the sink. "I need to save some energy for tomorrow, don't you think?"

She was silent for a few seconds. "Sure."

Neji had never liked sleeping early. He'd gone to bed late at night and woken up early. He'd always loved meditation, loved to take care of his weapons—the effect he'd gotten as her close friend, and in missions he'd always woken up first, even before Gai-sensei and Lee.

Everything had changed.

"_Neji?" she called him sleepily, trying to sit up._

_He glanced at her from his meditation position. "Go back to sleep."_

"_It's my turn to watch."_

"_You don't need to. I'll take yours."_

"_But__—__"_

"_You're injured," he stated. "I'm fine. And I will wake you up when we need to start going again."_

"_I can't do that," Tenten insisted, crossing her arms. "You haven't gotten enough sleep these past few days. You're going to get sick."_

"_I'm a Hyuuga."_

"_Hyuugas are humans, remember?"_

"_I won't get sick. Just sleep again, I know the medicine still has the effect on you."_

_Her body betrayed her by forcing her to yawn, making him smirk. She rolled her eyes exasperatedly while settling into sleep position once more. "Tell me, Neji, how can you only get a little sleep, but remain perfectly well throughout the day?"_

"_Because I'm a Hyuuga," he answered flatly as if it explained everything. "Now don't talk too much. Just sleep."_

_Tenten wanted to retort, but her eyes were too heavy that she fell back into a deep slumber not long after that._

He walked towards her who was washing the dishes in silence, busy with her own thoughts. He wrapped his strong arms around her from behind. "But actually," he whispered, "we deserve some quality time tonight."

She laughed. "No, my dear. I'm on my period."

Hearing his grunt of dissatisfaction, she quickly added. "Besides, didn't you say you were going to bed?"

Sighing a little, he kissed her lightly on the head—between her buns—before releasing her. "Goodnight then."

She turned her head to smile at him again. "Goodnight."

* * *

After making sure his husband was asleep, she went out of their suite. She walked through the hallways, with the help of a few beautiful lanterns and pale moonlight. Hyuuga compound was quiet, calm like every single of white eyed living there. It had been hard for her at first, to adapt to the clan traditions and such. But her husband had supported her from the start, encouraged her, and told her he didn't think she wasn't worthy of living with this noble clan even though she was an orphan.

In their old days, Neji had never treated her badly, even if he'd been so bitter to others.

"Tenten-san."

She turned around to meet an old man in a dark Hyuuga robe. At that age, Hyuuga Hiashi hadn't changed much other than his long hair that started to become grey and some wrinkles on his face. He was still the cold, yet wise man she'd known since her Genin days as Neji's teammate.

She bowed in respect and smiled warmly at her husband's uncle. "Hiashi-sama."

He nodded back. "Where is your husband?"

"He's already resting," she answered. "He'll leave tomorrow before dawn for a mission. How are you doing, Hiashi-sama?"

"Fine, thank you." He eyed her with those piercing lavender eyes, making her nervous a little. "Where are you going?"

"I…" she had to look away. But then, there was no use in avoiding Hyuuga Hiashi. "I'm going to get some fresh air. It's not late at night yet."

He responded a few seconds later. "Tenten-san, I'm going to ask something."

She finally looked at him.

"Are you happy?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she tried her best to appear confused. "Of course, Hiashi-sama. Why are you asking me that?"

"I can see that," he told her quietly. "I apologize for this, but I can really see that. You laugh, you smile, you act like everything is normal. Yet, it's not your old smile I saw years ago."

"I don't understand," she didn't know why she had to calm her racing heart. "Forgive me."

Hiashi looked at her with the same pale eyes that made her miss them even more—with the same furrowed eyebrows, the same determined and serious face. And his expression—his expression was full of regrets, full of concerns and full of _**sadness.**_ "You shouldn't have married someone you weren't in love with."

"Don't get me wrong, Hiashi-sama," she replied hoarsely. "I _**love**_ him. I think I made a right decision."

"I don't think you did."

She closed her eyes, wishing this man would disappear now and leave her with her own thoughts. "Why?"

Hiashi let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry that you had to meet my nephew."

She forced a smile. "Which one?"

"Your husband." For the first time in her life, she saw Hiashi avoiding her gaze. "Who met you shortly after the war, fell in love with you without even knowing that you'd fallen in love with his late cousin."

She allowed her heart to break again at his words. Of course. She wouldn't regret meeting his other nephew.

Hiashi closed his eyes, bowing to her in an apology gesture. "I wish Neji was still here."

She probably would regret this later, but a silent tear rolled down her cheek in front of Hiashi for the first time. "So do I."

Because no matter how happy she was now with her husband, she still felt a piece of her was missing.

* * *

If Hyuuga compound was quiet, then her and Neji's old training ground was far quieter—and darker. The only sounds heard were night insects, leaves, twigs, and grasses, and soft whispers of the wind. As if nothing in this world bothered to spare this _**dead**_ place a glance, the only thing that was kind enough to share its light was the moon. The silver rays poured softly through the clouds.

She too, did nothing to revive this place.

For she didn't think this place was dead, no matter how abandoned, lonely, and deserted it looked. She still remembered the way she'd jumped to the air and launched barrage of weapons to him. The way he'd deflected them with Kaiten. She even remembered their last sparring session here seven years ago, exactly seven days before war had started. He'd told her that day that he'd wanted her to help him perfecting his Hakke Kusho in their next training. There wouldn't be next training session anyway. Fate always had other plans.

"Stupid Neji," she whispered to the chill air. "You and your fate theory."

Fate was always a mystery for her. She'd never thought that someday she'd marry someone, a man from Hyuuga clan—from Main Family—Hinata and Neji's second cousin. They'd met after war; she hadn't known why they could become close quickly. After five years of relationship, he'd proposed to her, and she—even though she'd felt some sort of uneasy feelings in her chest—had accepted, and then she'd moved into Hyuuga compound.

She loved her husband—she wasn't stupid for marrying a man she didn't love. She loved him, his Hyuuga features, his gentlemanly behavior, his masculine voice and the way he fought in the battlefield.

She just hated his short hair; she preferred Neji's long one. She hated how he could cook; she thought Neji's clumsiness in kitchen was adorable somehow. She hated his unmarked forehead—she loved Neji's clothed one and the story of his strength and struggle for freedom behind it. She hated how he often slept early, how he liked spicy foods, and a few other things that were different from Neji, but never voiced them out. Only Neji would say no to her, would look away sulkily if she teased him and would stubbornly insist that he was right.

Neji and her husband were very much alike, however, she could tell the differences easily. Neji's skin _**was **_a bit paler, voice smoother, eyes a little bigger, and height two inches shorter. Neji _**was**_ less sociable, more silent and had shorter temper, but _**stronger **_in battle.

She couldn't cry anymore. Her eyes were dry, for she had cried many times, on nights—quietly while her husband was sleeping, loudly when he was away. No one knew, no one watched, except Neji perhaps.

Or perhaps, Hiashi knew? She'd never thought Hiashi could read her so well. He probably was the only one realized she wasn't the old her people knew. That she had actually buried special feelings for her teammate. Hinata also knew, probably. The shy girl had once come to her and begged tearfully for her forgiveness, because Neji had died for her and Naruto. She'd only laughed softly, telling Hinata that it hadn't been her fault. She'd playfully threatened her not to say sorry again, which the heiress had finally promised. Even though they were close friends now and they helped and smiled at each other, she couldn't look at her husband's cousin without picturing Neji's lifeless body. When Hinata and Naruto had walked down the aisle happily—the blissful couple had forgotten for a while about a man that had sacrificed himself for them—she'd seen Neji's pierced chest and blood everywhere instead. Hinata and Naruto hadn't even known these facts.

She hadn't cried when Neji had died; people thought she accepted his death and got over it quickly, moreover, it had been seven years and everyone even Lee had moved on.

Little did they knew, she was the last person in this world to forget Neji.

She even felt guilty whenever she trained with her husband, whenever they shared a moment together, and even worse, whenever they made love. She felt like Neji watching her, always watching her. She felt like she was cheating, betraying him.

She laughed at her stupidity. What? It wasn't that Neji had loved her. He'd probably known her feelings even though she'd never spoken about it, and he'd never said anything about his own. They'd been _**just friends,**_ and despite how some people had told her they would make a cute couple, she'd never been his and would never be his. He'd even left her without saying goodbye, without any last message. She even forgot about the very last words he had ever said to her, no matter how she wanted to remember them so badly.

Her own husband thought she had moved on from Neji—or maybe he absolutely wasn't a genius like Neji that he didn't realize she was only pretending to be alright, to be happy, pretending that she had forgotten about Neji. She didn't blame him, though. She always made sure she looked as that cheerful, energetic and strong kunoichi people knew. She even rarely mentioned Neji in everyone's presence.

She wondered how long she would be able to survive through this hidden pain.

"If I had told you about my feelings, and if you had told me you felt the same," she murmured. "I wouldn't have married him, even if you wouldn't wake up."

The sounds of leaves, twigs and grasses were her only answers.

"Stupid," she whispered again, forcing herself to smile at the invisible ghost she was speaking to. Invisible tears—that only she and Neji could see—streamed down her face. "Stupid Neji."

_**The wind has become cold,**__**  
The scent in the air brings back memories,  
**__**I'm looking and waiting for you here.  
Hey, can you hear me?**_

"_**Don't show your tears." That's what you said.  
**__**We waved each other goodbye silently.**__**  
**__**We didn't say any words: our hands did that for us.**__**  
**__**You melted into the sunset; but I remember you.**_

_**Even now, the days are still gloomy,  
It's here that I'm searching for you.  
**__**But then I remembered:**__**  
**__**"For someone out there," we must continue on with our life.**_

_**I'm holding back my tears, I promise.  
I have to be stronger than anybody.  
We don't need to say goodbye, because when I close my eyes,  
I can see you right away; I remember you.**_

_YUI – I Remember You_

* * *

_**(A/N):**_ I remember Neji everytime I listen to that beautiful song.

Which genre I am better in, fluff or angst?


	11. Next Weapon Mistress, Next Hyuga Prodigy

10 Neji and his more-like-Tenten daughter moments for** Ami1010**. I'm sorry it took me sooo long to finish this.

* * *

I.

When his wife tells him about her pregnancy, Hyuuga Neji feels like he is dreaming. He's been hoping for a child since the past five months, and when one night in July Tenten comes to tell him she is pregnant, he's not sure how he should react.

Also, it is his birthday.

"Are you happy?" she whispers. Her beautiful brown eyes glint under the lantern light, showing him how happy she really is.

He's unaware that he is swallowing. "Yes."

In response, the light in her eyes fades away as the brunette kunoichi glares at him in what he guesses is irritation. "You're supposed to show some happiness, you emotionless, heartless man!"

Neji _is_ happy. He's been waiting for a child for almost five months. No, they've been. They planned this shortly after their wedding and they have waited patiently all this time, that when Tenten announces this, he knows it's the best birthday gift he has ever received from her.

It's just that Neji is always awkward at a few things, and Hyuuga is indeed always awkward.

"Do I even need to show it?" he replies.

When she only looks away sulkily, he pulls her into a tight, yet careful hug as if his larger body will hurt the fetus.

"I'm happy," he whispers into her ear. "Thank you for the gift."

He feels even happier when she finally laughs.

II.

Neji doesn't know the child's gender.

He only knows that the unborn child is as feisty as his wife. Those nights when Tenten kicks him hard and talks in her sleep and sometimes slaps his face unconsciously are the proofs. He is just lucky that there's not any sort of weapon under her pillow anymore—Tenten has never slept without weapons under her head, but Neji told her carefully to keep their child safe with all the ways possible—which nearly earned him a punch but she agreed eventually.

One peaceful afternoon—while Tenten is eating some sesame dumplings happily, he looks at her and can't help asking. "What do you think?"

"What?"

"The gender," he says, "is it a boy or a girl?"

She stops chewing and looks down at her swollen stomach. "You can use Byakugan, you know."

He smirks. "I don't want to."

He has told everyone in Hyuuga compound not to tell him and Tenten about the gender of their unborn child. They all can see it, but Neji doesn't want to know yet as he wants it to be a surprise for them both. Many times he has to remind himself not to activate his bloodline limit when she's around.

"Then you shouldn't have asked me," she retorts.

"Hn. But you're the mother and I know you have the right feeling about it."

Tenten closes her eyes and smiles. "I knew it from the moment I found out this pregnancy."

Neji blinks, but Tenten looks at him with a soft smile. "I'm not going to tell you. A boy or a girl, it doesn't matter for us, doesn't it?"

Before he can give an answer, she bites another sesame dumpling, probably the eighth one she has eaten that day.

III.

Neji feels like he's going to explode from this amount of anxiety.

Just six hours ago he received a message from Konoha that told him to leave the mission and go back to meet his wife—and his baby—immediately. He feels bad for not being there when his wife needed someone to encourage her, to hold her hand and whisper I know it hurts but you gotta do it—not that he knows what to do when his wife is giving birth, he just heard it from Shikamaru whose fingers were broken when Temari gave birth to their first son. But, Tenten is a wise and perceptive kunoichi who even scolded him when he told her he wanted to take a leave from missions until their child's birth.

Another fact brings another smile to him; it is Tenten's birthday.

Neji takes a deep breath when he finally arrives at his village long before noon, just as people start to busy themselves with their routines. Instead of going home, he heads to Tenten's favorite weapon shop to get a beautiful, limited-edition dagger she once told him she wanted to buy. After that, he even visits Konoha's baby store. He buys a stroller for the baby before walking home in a rush, ignoring people's wide eyes—no one has ever thought someday they would see Hyuuga Neji carrying a folded baby stroller on his shoulder.

A few Hyuugas stare at him when he makes his way to his and Tenten's suite. His family has their own midwifes, which means Tenten didn't have to give birth at hospital. His heart races wildly as he opens the door to their bedroom.

He expected a few people—at least Hinata and Sakura, if not his family—to be there with his wife, but Tenten is alone, sitting on their bed, staring back at him.

Her gaze shifts from the stroller to his eyes. Neji watches her, making sure she is fine and alright and is not in pain anymore; then the bundle in her arms. For a few seconds no one speaks.

"Neji." She calls him softly. "Come here."

He puts the baby stroller on the floor carefully, then walks to her. She smiles and pats the space beside her, asking him silently to sit down. He doesn't take his eyes off of the baby who is wrapped in soft blankets.

He looks at his sleeping child with fascination. His child with a woman he loves more than anything. The result of their love. He can't believe it, as he studies the chubby cheeks, soft brownish hair, and long eyelashes. Wait, what exactly is the gender?

As if hearing his unspoken question, Tenten speaks. "It's a girl."

He doesn't need any encouragement to pull his wife into his arms the next second. "A girl. My daughter."

"My daughter."

He smiles. "I know, our daughter. She's yours too."

"No, she's _my_ daughter," she says. "At least that's what your family thinks."

He pulls away to look at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Tenten looks away, and he's wondering what is wrong when the baby stirs. He looks down at his daughter just as she opens her eyes.

She has Tenten's brown eyes.

She stares at him and he stares back in amazement. Brown eyes that have made him fall in love for years. Brown eyes that make Tenten always look beautiful in his white ones.

"See that?"

Neji glances at Tenten questioningly. She closes her eyes while continuing. "To them, a Hyuuga with brown eyes is not a Hyuuga."

His eyes widen.

"They think it's disappointing that there's no way she will be as strong as you. It's a shame that _your_ child won't possess Byakugan." Tenten opens her eyes, showing him how much she is hurt. "I'm sorry."

His heart clenches painfully. What his family has done to him in his younger years is almost nothing compared to what they said about his wife and his newborn child. His knuckles whiten as he watches Tenten trying not to cry.

Instead, it is their daughter who finally does the crying for her mother.

Neji leans down to kiss the newborn's small forehead before wrapping his arms around his wife.

"Don't," he says. "You don't need to be sorry. Don't apologize for that again."

He feels her nod on his shoulder as they gently rock their wailing daughter in her arms.

He tells himself that he won't let his family hurt these two people he loves the most again. No. They're going to regret it.

A few minutes later, he asks. "What's her name?"

She looks up at him with a soft smile. "Maemi. Hyuuga Maemi."

He's surprised not just because of her quick response, or because she's very confident that he will approve her choice. He is more surprised because of the meaning.

Maemi. Smile of truth.

Closing his eyes, Neji nuzzles her cheek. "Happy birthday."

IV.

"Oh, she smiles at me!"

It's not the first time he hears that.

Maemi always smiles at everyone she meets, even in her very young age. She smiles at her mother before breastfeeding, her father when he changes her diaper, her Hyuuga family when they meet her in compound's hallway, and her parents' comrades when they are in an informal meeting. She even smiles at Morino Ibiki, Gaara, and Aburame Shino who practically show no emotions.

"She's really friendly and cheerful!" Lee exclaims in a dinner at yakiniku restaurant. "I'm so proud of you, youthful, beautiful flower!"

"I know, right?" Naruto says. "She's probably the most often-smiling Hyuuga I've ever seen!"

"D-does it mean I never smile at people, Naruto-kun?"

"Huh? Oh right Hinata-chan, you always smile too. But look at this baby's father—you can say he _never_ smiles!"

"I don't see any reason to smile at you, Naruto," Neji says flatly.

Before Naruto responds, Sakura quickly says. "Right, Maemi looks like Tenten." She grins at the five-month-old baby girl who reaches up to grab her pink hair. "She has brown eyes, sweet smile, and… oh, everything from you, Tenten!"

"And her personalities," Ino adds. "Even if she's still very young, I can see she has Tenten's personalities."

Neji glances at his wife beside him who only smiles at every compliment thrown at her and their daughter. It's until everyone stops talking that she finally comments.

"No," she says, "she is like Neji too."

"How?" Kiba asks.

Tenten touches her daughter's smooth cheek. "She has Neji's pale skin. And her hair is lighter than mine, like Neji's." She offers Maemi her forefinger, which the baby grabs tightly with her small fingers, not letting it go easily. "Also, she's as strong as Neji."

Everyone is silent, most of them smiling at the young mother while Neji can't say anything in response.

V.

The first time Neji sees his daughter holding a kunai, he is scared as hell.

Tenten is out for getting groceries and he is washing dishes after their breakfast when he glances at Maemi who's playing alone in the corner of the room. His heart nearly drops to the floor when he sees what she's playing with; a kunai, a sharp one. Tenten is going to stab him with a katana if the baby is wounded.

"Don't!" He leaves the faucet without turning it off first and rushes to his daughter. "You'll hurt yourself!"

He grabs her small wrists, frantically takes the kunai, and throws it away. He checks all of her exposed skin, searching for blood, to find nothing.

Instead, the one-year-old girl laughs innocently at him.

"You know, she likes weapons."

Neji turns around to find Tenten standing in the doorway, watching him in amusement.

"Don't tell me," he says, "you've seen her playing with a kunai before?"

She chuckles. "Why not?"

"Tenten," Neji angrily glares at her. "Don't be so reckless! She's only one and you've allowed her to touch something as sharp as kunai? Do you think she—"

"Calm down," his wife cuts him off. She smiles just like Maemi smiles. "She's going to be the next Konoha Weapon Mistress."

When he says nothing, she continues. "Yet, she is also the next Hyuuga prodigy. Even if she can't have Byakugan."

VI.

"Otou-san!" The four-year-old Maemi bounces up and down when she sees her parents coming. "Okaa-san!"

Neji and Tenten approaches their daughter and Hyuuga Hiashi who is standing behind her. Tenten lifts the girl into her arms and kisses her cheek. "Hello, Beautiful! How are you this evening?"

"Happy," Maemi exclaims joyfully, pointing at Hiashi. "Playing with Ojii-san all day!"

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Hiashi-sama," Neji says. "Thank you for taking care of our daughter while we were away. We really appreciate that."

"Don't be so formal," the older Hyuuga replies. "I'm glad I could help."

Maemi yawns suddenly, making Tenten chuckle. "Sleepy, aren't you? It's time to go to bed."

Neji nods his approval and his wife gives a bow to the Hyuuga leader. "Thank you once again, Hiashi-sama. Come on, Maemi, say goodbye to your grandpa!"

"Goodbye, Ojii-san," the young girl waves her hand enthusiastically as if she's not sleepy anymore. "Let's play again soon!"

Neji isn't too sure, but he sees Hiashi smiling back at his daughter.

"Sure." He turns to Neji. "And Neji, I wish to speak to you about something."

Tenten seems to take this as a signal to leave. She leaves with Maemi in her arms while Neji stays. Hiashi clears his throat as they watch Tenten walking away.

"Your daughter is amazing."

"Thank you."

"No," the older man states, "she really takes after you." He looks up at the sky from their location in Hyuuga garden. "She is a genius. Having your brain and your wife's heart, I believe she's going to be a strong kunoichi."

Neji feels his eyes widen.

"Even if she doesn't have white eyes," Hiashi glances at his nephew solemnly. "Don't listen to what people say. She is a Hyuuga no matter what. Know that she's also lucky for not having Byakugan." Then he turns around to leave.

The young father closes his eyes gratefully, knowing what his uncle means. Having brown eyes means Maemi doesn't have to bear the curse mark. "Yes. I know it."

Because the last thing he ever wants for his daughter is to go through his earlier experience as a Branch Family member.

Neji wants Maemi to taste freedom for the rest of her life, just like Tenten.

VII.

Neji and Tenten rarely fight with each other. But when they do, they shout at each other and lose control over their usually composed selves.

"How much do you expect me to take, Neji? Your family keeps bugging me about how a bad luck it is that we have a child without your eyes! I'm not angry because they insult my eyes—no, I'm angry because they think Maemi isn't worth a Hyuuga!"

"Tenten, calm down," he says to no avail.

"And what makes it worse? Maemi now thinks she should've been blessed with white eyes!"

"Tenten!" Neji tries to stop her. "How could you say that?"

"Because," Tenten stares at him coldly with a pair of brown eyes, "today I heard one of your cousins talking to Maemi. 'I wish you had your father's eyes. You won't be as strong as him without Byakugan.'" She laughs bitterly. "Brown eyes can't make someone strong, I guess? I'm the proof."

He can only stare at her.

"You know what, now she's going to hate me for giving her those brown eyes." She avoids his gaze. "I understand your family's reason, though. You're the strongest in this clan. They think your child deserves a better mother, preferably a Hyuuga woman."

"Shut up!" Neji shouts, slamming his palm on the table. "If you're going to say that I don't deserve you, then shut up."

"I would like to," she says calmly before turning around, hefting her mission backpack. "I'm going now. My team is waiting for me."

But she glances at him before she really leaves. "It's hard to live in this family, Neji," she whispers. "It's alright with me. I can live with that. But Maemi, she's also your daughter. She's not supposed to be hurt by them."

Neji closes his eyes as she walks away for her three-day mission. He can only hope that this fight won't distract her in the battle when facing the enemies.

"Otou-san?"

Startled, he turns around and sees Maemi watching him with fearful eyes. Just how much did she hear?

"Why are you here, Maemi?"

The six-year-old visibly shivers and Neji immediately regrets his previous fight with Tenten. "You should be in bed now. Come on."

"Why did you and Okaa-san fight?"

Taking a deep breath, Neji knows he shouldn't ignore the question. His daughter won't stop asking until she gets the answer.

He kneels down and strokes her brown hair. "Let's go to your room first."

Seconds later, Neji is sitting on his child's bed while Maemi lays her head on his lap. He keeps stroking her head, waiting for her to say something first.

"Otou-san, why don't they like my eyes?"

Sighing, Neji looks down at her. "I want to ask you first," he says, "do you like your eyes?"

Maemi looks up, her beautiful brown eyes meeting his white ones. "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she repeats, determinedly just like Tenten. "I love my eyes. Okaa-san looks beautiful with brown eyes. I want to be as beautiful as her."

His lips curled upwards. Tenten was wrong; their daughter _loves_ her.

"You already are," he tucks some strands of her hair behind her ear. "You're beautiful just like her. And strong like her, too."

The young girl watches him solemnly.

"Forget what people say. You don't need white eyes to become a Hyuuga. You're my daughter, you're going to become a great kunoichi, as strong as me and your mother."

"Sure," she replies confidently, showing him she has no doubt about it. She smiles at him the way Tenten smiles. "I will show Okaa-san how much I love her."

Neji raises his eyebrows.

The little girl giggles, then straightens up to whisper in her father's ear as if there's someone else in the room who isn't supposed to hear her brilliant plan.

Three days later, Neji and Maemi welcome Tenten home with a birthday surprise. Even though it's also her birthday, Maemi has insisted to prepare this for her mother. Neji helped her baking a cake—which he is sure tastes bad as hell since he's bad in kitchen, decorating the living room with balloons, even doing her hair up into two buns just like her mother's hairstyle when she was younger.

And when Tenten tearfully looks at her smiling daughter, Neji can't hold back a smile too. He loves watching his wife hugging Maemi and whispering that the little girl's presence in this world is her best birthday gift ever; not a homemade cake or a bunch of colorful balloons.

VIII.

Neji walks away from academy building that morning. Children are playing around him, using their break time for running around or practicing.

He stops walking, then stares at the paper Maemi's sensei gave to him.

Maemi is a genius. She got A for every single test given last week, which is almost impossible. She's mainly good at controlling chakra—a skill that undoubtedly she got from her father, and can hit every target perfectly with kunai—no one is surprised about this. Her sensei even called him that day to talk about this, suggesting that he and Tenten give her special attention on her skills.

Actually, Maemi's sensei didn't need to ask him to train her at home. He and Tenten have done it since she was little, training her when they don't have any mission to run into. It is because Neji knows she is a skilled child—even if she can't use Jyuuken or other Hyuuga techniques that require white eyes.

Even his family who underestimated her earlier must admit that Maemi is another amazing Hyuuga child. They start to accept that the girl _doesn't_ need eyes like theirs to be a genius. She is also one of very few _free_ Branch members; she doesn't need to have his father's curse mark. Neji is happy for that.

Tenten's words also echo in his head. The next Weapon Mistress, the next Hyuuga prodigy—even if she can't have Byakugan.

"That was wonderful! Maemi, show us the right technique!"

Neji turns his head to look behind a big tree. He raises his eyebrows when he sees a group of children surrounding a familiar girl.

"See this?" Maemi extends her hand, demonstrating how to hold a shuriken the right way. "The mistake we used to do is gripping it too hard. Now, we should…"

Neji allows his lips to form a smile.

IX.

"Tired?"

The nine-year-old girl pants heavily, resting on her hands and knees in exhaustion. She is practicing taijutsu with her father in her parents' old training ground.

"Let's take a break," Neji says.

"No." Maemi struggles to stand up. When she finally stands upright, she lifts her head to look at her father. "Let's go on, Otou-san. I'm not tired yet."

Neji is stunned.

The same features, the same expression and the same strong brown eyes remind him of that stubborn, determined girl.

"_I'm not tired yet," the bun haired girl tries to balance herself on her feet. Even if her face and shirt are dirty, her hair is a mess and her breathing is short, she always stands up again. He wonders what makes her want to be that strong in front of him. "Let's continue, Neji."_

However before Maemi can move, she collapses.

Neji is beside her in an instant, brushing her brown bangs out of her eyes to find they are closed. She must be definitely exhausted.

"Stubborn girl," he whispers affectionately as he lifts her small figure onto his back. "Let's go home, shall we? Your mother is waiting with special meals for our dinner."

X.

"Have you prepared extra clothes? Bandages and ointment?"

"Yes, Okaa-san," Maemi answers patiently. "It was the fourth time you asked me that."

Neji watches his daughter preparing herself for her first B rank mission ever that morning. He and Tenten don't have any mission today.

"You're supposed to be back in three days, right?"

"Right." Maemi turns around to look at her mother, smiling confidently. "I'll come home alive, unhurt. Don't worry."

Tenten takes a deep breath. She smiles back, and Neji notices she's trying to hide her emotions. "Yes."

The Hyuuga girl seems to understand this, as she quietly walks toward her mother before enveloping her in a hug. "Okaa-san, you're overreacting," she says with a laugh. "I'll be fine. It's just my first step to become a great kunoichi."

Neji realizes that sometimes Maemi is more mature than Tenten.

The brunette woman laughs too. "You're right, I'm overreacting."

The thirteen-year-old girl releases her mother, glancing at her father and smiling. "Otou-san, I'm leaving." She hugs him just like she hugged her mother before. "Your birthday is in a week. What do you want as a present?"

"I don't need anything."

Maemi steps back. "Why?"

"Because," Neji smiles, touching his beloved daughter's cheek with his large palm. "You're the best gift itself."

Maemi giggles the way Tenten giggles.

After saying goodbye, she leaves home.

Neji watches her walking away with his wife beside him. Their daughter has grown up beautifully; her braided brown hair, her snow-like pale skin, and her brown eyes that show people who she is: a young kunoichi with her father's steel determination and her mother's gentle kindness.

The next Weapon Mistress of Konoha, the next Hyuuga prodigy.

"Does it mean I'm not another perfect gift for you?"

Neji gazes at his wife. For a moment, he thinks she is jealous of her own daughter, but noticing the amusement in her sparkling brown eyes, he knows she is not. Smirking, he pulls her closer to cradle her face in both hands.

"No, you're _not_ another perfect gift for me," he says, watching smugly as she raises her eyebrows. "Because you're a part of me. We're one."

He proves his statement by kissing her deeply then.

* * *

**(A/N):** Cheesy ending. Feel free to melt it on your delicious French fries or tortilla chips.

I myself don't think Hyuuga in canon is as bad as I wrote above, please don't get me wrong. ;)


	12. Red Dress

"Stupid," Tenten muttered under her breath. "Stupid plan."

She looked down at her poor toes. Those too high red heels Sakura had lent her were really uncomfortable—she didn't know if Sakura would even be able to wear these shoes for more than an hour—she really hated Sakura now. Her loose long hair that fell in soft waves around her shoulders to her back was also making her sick. Really, Tenten had never hated Hinata until that evening when the girl had offered in her own forceful way to comb her brown hair neatly and tuck that flower hairpin just above her left ear. And when she'd told the girls she'd wanted to put her hair in usual two buns, they all including Hinata had said no. She had also considered Temari of the Sand as the most mature of them all, however, one hour ago the blonde had turned her respect into hate by forcing her to wear heavy makeup—thick foundation, eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush on, and bright red lipstick.

Worst of all, she hated Ino. The red dress Tenten was wearing right now was just too short, too tight, and too _revealing._ Ino had said red really suited her skin tone, and Tenten had been too helpless to even refuse.

"_Well, you just have to do something," Ino tapped her chin. "Don't just wait, you're going to wait forever. Do something!"_

_Tenten groaned. "I can't."_

"_I thought you didn't mind having 'private' relationship?" Sakura asked. "You're not the lovey-dovey type. I thought you didn't like PDA."_

"_I don't," Tenten answered sadly. "The problem is, even in private, he doesn't even touch me! He always kisses me softly, without some kind of passion, before restraining himself in order to stop further things…"_

"_B-but Neji-nii-san loves you, Tenten-san."_

"_I know. It's just…" Tenten buried her face in a fluffy pillow, her voice muffled. "Can't he just show it by some gestures? Even if only a little?"_

"_Like, holding hands, or kissing you in public when he thinks no one is watching?" Ino suggested. "Yes, he should've done that."_

"_He's… he's just good at hiding his emotions. He doesn't like losing control." Hinata still tried to defend her cousin, making Ino roll her eyes._

"_It's not an excuse," she stated. "Emotionless or not, a boyfriend is supposed to show his girl some affection, even if both prefer privacy for their relationship. They've been dating for five months."_

"_Seven years, if training together is counted," Sakura chuckled. "They've known and trained with each other for such a long time. It makes me wonder why he can keep his hormones under control even after all these years."_

_Temari clicked her tongue impatiently. "Poor girl," she remarked. "If you want something, get it. Just make your first move."_

"_First move?" Tenten groaned. "I can't kiss him right in public__—__he'll shove me away and say "not in public, Tenten." And in private, if I try to kiss him more passionately, he'll just back away and say "no Tenten, stop it before I lose my control." I told you, he's really dense sometimes."_

"_First move," Ino repeated. Other girls were silent. Judging by the mischief in her sparkling eyes, Tenten knew she would come up with a ridiculous idea._

"_What is it, Ino-pig?"_

"_You know I'm going to hold my birthday party next week, don't you?"_

It wasn't that Tenten really hated all these things; she didn't mind wearing a dress as long as it wasn't indecent and makeup as long as it wasn't too heavy. Moreover, Neji…

Neji would hate her for this.

"Tenten."

The brunette kunoichi narrowed her eyes at Ino, who was wearing a long purple dress that fitted her figure perfectly. She had to admit her friend looked amazing in it.

"Ino, where is Neji? It's a part of your plan, isn't it? You didn't tell me about it!"

"Indeed," Ino smirked mischievously. "Why? Have any objections?"

"Of course—"

"You'll thank me later," the blonde winked at her. "We're doing this to help you, Panda. Good luck anyway!"

Tenten groaned in frustration as her friend walked away.

"Why are you standing alone here?"

She turned her face to see a dark haired man approaching her. She had to blink a few times before recognizing who he really was. "Kankuro?"

"Yeah," he smirked at her. It was the first time she saw him without his trademark face paint, and in formal party attire. "Why don't you join the others?"

She didn't know much about Kankuro, but he and his sister Temari had once lived in Konoha for two months, for bilateral purpose. At that time, Tenten and Temari had trained together in their spare time and weekends. Kankuro had sometimes joined them.

"Oh, nothing," she said quietly. "Just need some time alone."

Kankuro nodded. "Where's Neji?"

Oh, great. That was the first question thrown at her everytime she was seen without Neji. "He… he hasn't come yet."

"Why?"

She shrugged, wanting to avoid the topic. "I didn't think you would come."

"You didn't think I wouldn't be invited, did you?" Kankuro said with a smile. "Of course Ino didn't forget me."

"Yeah," Tenten chuckled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"No, it's okay," Kankuro shrugged casually, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "By the way, you look different."

Tenten laughed. "I don't know if it's a compliment or an insult."

"A compliment, surely," Kankuro grinned at her. "I didn't know a fierce kunoichi like you could be this beautiful."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Everyone knew this; Kankuro always flirted with every girl he met, so she didn't feel that honored. "Um, thank you?"

The Sand man laughed. "Don't worry, I wouldn't say that in front of your boyfriend. However, because he isn't here right now…" He raised an eyebrow. "Would you mind having a chit-chat with me?"

"I think we're chitchatting right now," she muttered. Okay, she knew this; this was another part of the girls' plan. "But… Neji can show up any minute."

"Then why?" Kankuro shrugged. "We're just talking in a casual way. Will he really be that angry for finding me talking to you?"

"N-not really," Tenten stammered. "Right, we're only talking casually."

"I bet Hyuuga is really overprotective, huh?" The taller man smirked in amusement. "His look at every man is like, 'don't touch my girl or I'll Jyuuken you to the next village'. I don't blame him, though." He sent her a confident smile. "You're too gorgeous."

She didn't realize that she was blushing. "No. He's just… well, it's just typical Hyuuga personality, I think."

"No, I wasn't lying," Kankuro insisted. "You're gorgeous—especially tonight. He'll forget how to breathe if he sees you now."

_More like he will be angry_, Tenten said inwardly. "You say that to every girl you meet, don't you?"

"Mm," he put on his serious face. "Other than my sister? Probably."

Laughing, Tenten punched his arm. "Then I shouldn't believe everything you say."

"Nah, nah, I was kidding about that one," he gave her a flirtatious wink. "But let's go back to previous topic. Your boyfriend gets jealous easily, doesn't he?"

She shrugged. She didn't know it because to be honest, no guy had ever dared to approach her if Neji was around. Therefore, Tenten had never known how he would react seeing any guy flirt with her. "I don't know."

"I guess he does. How unlucky you are."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if I had a girlfriend, I wouldn't forbid her to interact with other guys," he told her. "Every girl including you has a right to make friends with any man she wants."

Tenten smiled at this. "Neji allows me to make friends with a few other men. He's not that bad."

The light of the room started to dim as the upbeat music started to flow. Kankuro raised an eyebrow. "Time to dance. That Yamanaka, she really loves things like this." He gave her a meaningful smirk, suddenly wrapping an arm around her small waist, shocking her. "Want to dance together?"

Tenten hadn't even decided what to say when she saw Neji coming in her direction.

Her eyes widened. A furious, angry, very mad Hyuuga Neji.

She barely had a chance to say anything when suddenly he pulled her away from Kankuro, grabbed her shoulders, and crushed her body to his to kiss her hard and passionately.

They were in the middle of a party.

People were looking at them.

This was Hyuuga Neji.

She could only heard whistling and cheers as Neji pulled her even closer, his firm fingers surely creating bruises.

_Maybe I shouldn't hate those girls now,_ Tenten thought as her head whirled from the intensity of Neji's kiss.

* * *

"Good job, Kankuro!"

"Heh, it was easy. I mean, it wasn't because of me that Hyuuga got that jealous—he was just overprotective."

"Temari, you evil sister! How could you ask your own brother to flirt with Tenten? You know he would've died by now if he didn't run after seeing Neji coming."

"I know, I'm a genius. That weapon freak is going to thank me and Kankuro."

"B-but…"

"What, Hinata?"

"I-I think Neji-nii-san will hunt you down after this, Kankuro-san… H-he was really angry at you."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Temari, can we go back to Suna tomorrow morning?"

* * *

Morning sunlight poured into Tenten's bedroom through thick curtains. She'd woken up a few minutes ago, and now she was resting her head on Neji's bare chest, hearing his comforting heartbeat as he stroked her smooth back gently.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Neji." She spoke softly, breaking the silence.

"Don't apologize again."

"No," Tenten tightened her arm around his waist, "I know I shouldn't have angered you."

"Hn."

A sigh. "So, you're still mad at me."

"Not really," Neji answered after a moment of silence. "As long as you promise you won't meet that Suna guy again—not with that intimacy."

Holding back the urge to laugh, she kissed his collarbone. "Of course. I don't think I was that intimate with him, though."

"… Hn."

Until that time, Tenten hadn't told Neji the actual reason behind everything she'd done last night. She was sure, as time progressed Neji wouldn't be afraid anymore to show her a little affection when in public, in order to keep her safe from any other guy. And in private—everything would just be more and more interesting.

"By the way, Neji," she remembered something all of a sudden. "Where's the red dress?"

"You don't remember? I tore it off with your kunai last night."

"What?! Neji, you idiot! It was Ino's—she's going to kill me!"

"She won't. I'll go apologize to her."

Pouting, Tenten shifted to lie on her side. "Then I have to buy a similar one as the replacement. I'll borrow it again for the next party."

Glaring at her suddenly, Neji half-growled. "Never wear a dress like that to whatever party you attend again."

Then he pulled her face forward to kiss her deeply, not giving her any chance to object.

Perhaps, Tenten thought as Neji threw the blankets that covered their bodies to the floor before straddling her, the girls had been wrong. She didn't have to make the first move—at least at times like this. She grinned as she relaxed, letting Neji take the initiative to start everything.

* * *

**(A/N):** Surprise gift for **expiration,** because Tenten and flirty Kankuro is one of her favorite crack pairings. Happy birthday, buddy! Even though it wasn't really KankuTen… well, at least I included him too. *winks

Tell me your thoughts.


	13. Death Anniversary

**(A/N):** God, I miss updating! Been busy with a few things and even if I had time to write, I'd end up writing practically nothing. Amateur writer's block.

* * *

"Good job, as usual," Naruto grinned at the white eyed man who was standing before his desk. "Yeah, what else could I expect from you?"

Neji smirked. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to go home."

"Jeez, Neji! Hold on, will you? I have something important to say!"

"What is it?"

This time, Naruto's playful grin faded. He stared at Neji seriously, making the older man raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I still don't know how I can ever repay you. Words or anything else can't return your favor, Neji."

"I regret nothing. I already said that."

"Yes," Naruto looked anywhere but at the man in front of him. "But still, we owe you so much."

Neji's lips lifted upwards. "You have no idea," he said calmly, "that I learned so much from it, Naruto."

The blond man sighed. "Tell me if you want something now and I promise I will—"

"I want nothing now."

A frustrated groan escaped Naruto's lips. "Okay. Just tell whenever you need me. You know I'll always help."

"Of course. You're Hokage, after all."

Naruto shot him an irritated glare. "What do you mean? It's not about my status or anything, it's about… gah, there's no use in arguing with you, Neji!"

"I don't look forward to it either." Neji said bluntly, then bowed to show he still held a great respect for the Konoha leader anyway. "I'm leaving. Thank you."

Before he reached the door, he heard Naruto call him again. "Wait."

The Sixth Hokage stood up from his chair, then bowed deeply to Neji. The Hyuuga genius was admittedly shocked, but remained silent as Naruto straightened up and gave him a toothy smile. "Thank you once again, Neji."

Not everyone was lucky enough to receive a deep bow from a Kage, but this was Naruto, and Naruto was different.

"Before I leave, Naruto," Neji said, breaking the silence, "did you actually remember the exact date?"

"Well, actually I didn't," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "It was Hinata-chan that reminded me. Wait, Neji, don't give me that look! It's not that I think it is unimportant, you know I'm just that forgetful, right? I even forgot Sakura-chan's birthday last year which earned me a kick—"

The door closed smoothly, muffling the Hokage's whine of protest.

* * *

Stars twinkled above as Neji reached Hyuuga compound. The large mansion was quiet, allowing him to enjoy the comfortable silence he always liked. Unconsciously massaging his stiff shoulder, he quickened his pace along the empty halls to get to his suite. His five-day solo mission had been satisfying, but apparently he was suffering from soreness.

"Welcome home!"

Neji blinked as the front door to his suite opened and revealed only his wife. He had expected two pairs of brown eyes to meet his sight and two cheerful voices to greet his ears. "Hn."

Tenten smiled as she tiptoed to kiss his cheek briefly. "Successful mission as usual?"

"Thankfully yes." He let her help him taking his backpack off. "Where's Maemi?"

"She asked for an early dinner," Tenten answered. "I offered her to wait for you as usual, but she said she was too sleepy and went to sleep after that."

"It wasn't like her."

"I know," the brunette kunoichi giggled. "I made dashi for dinner. Do you want to shower first? I'll pick one of your comfy shirts for you."

He leaned down to press his lips to her forehead. "Yes, please."

There was something different about her tonight, he thought as they had their dinner half an hour later. They were eating together while talking casually about some topics. About his mission, about Lee and his new Genin team, and about Sakura who was expecting her first child with Sasuke.

But even though she talked, smiled and laughed as usual, he felt like she was avoiding his eyes somehow, only staring at her food, the window, or the wall behind him.

Eye contact was always important to them. Whenever they talked, their eyes showed how much they were relaxed and comfortable with each other. Whenever they were in a sparring session, their eyes calculated each other's movement and were full of determination to beat the other. Whenever they kissed or made love, their eyes held the gentleness, warmth and affection that had been built up within many years together.

And he liked combination of his eyes and hers—white and brown. Like milk and chocolate.

"Then," Tenten continued talking, absently playing the spoon between her fingers like it was a kunai. "Sakura told me about her cravings, mood swings and all. She's really afraid of getting fat, so I shared my former experience."

"You ate almost twenty sesame dumplings each day."

"Don't exaggerate, Neji, it was eighteen at the most! I still remember that!"

"There's not much difference."

Tenten snorted. "At least everyone told me I wasn't that fat even though I ate so much."

Neji couldn't help but smirk. "That was because you were hyperactive."

He'd expected her to retort or something, but instead she was staring at her half-empty glass.

"Tenten?"

"Yes?" Her head lifted up quickly.

He sipped his water while observing her carefully. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she threw him a fake confused look.

"You've been distracted."

Sighing, Tenten put down her spoon. "It's you who's been distracted. I've seen you massaging your shoulders multiple times since you came home. What jutsu have you just used?"

"Nothing special," he said truthfully as he began rubbing his own left shoulder again. "I don't know. They've been aching since this morning."

His wife let out a laugh as she stood and made her way to sit right behind him.

"You're too tense," she squeezed his shoulders lightly. "Your muscles need to relax. Just stay still or I will tie you up with my chains."

Neji knew better than to protest because she was always serious with her weapon threats, so he stayed still. He closed his eyes when he felt her slender fingers gather his long, thick hair and tie it neatly so his clothed back was exposed.

She started to knead his tense shoulders and upper back with skillful fingers, working on the knots in his muscles. Eyes closed, he let out an unconscious sigh as the soothing pressures worked its way to his whole body, making him completely relaxed and forget about whatever it was that stressed him out.

"Feel good?" Tenten asked with a laugh. "You need to relax sometimes, Neji. When was the last time you visited hot springs with the guys?"

Neji found it rather hard to speak when he was emptying his mind and didn't want to think of anything in such a comfortable, blissful state. "I do meditation almost everyday, Tenten."

His wife scoffed. "Fine, meditation can help you relax too. But a visit to hot springs once in a while won't hurt."

"I know. I'll think about it."

They fell into a comfortable silence for almost five minutes then. Neji started to feel better as he leaned completely into her touch. God, even five days without seeing her had made him almost insane. He almost smiled as he realized how foolish it sounded—but who cared? Tenten was one of very few things could make him do stupid things.

"Neji, I want to talk about something."

He wanted to say 'I already told you there was something wrong', but he only responded with a hum. This was it; he'd been waiting for her next question.

"Do you remember what day it is?"

"Yes," he breathed. "My death anniversary."

He couldn't look at her, but he knew she was frowning. "You make it sound so casual."

"It does."

Tenten didn't give any response.

Neji sighed. "That was years ago, Tenten. You have moved on from that _tragedy_, haven't you?"

"I have," she said softly. She stopped massaging his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her forehead to his nape. "But I… honestly I can't imagine how my life would be if you didn't come back."

"But I did."

"Yes, but—"

"But I came back, and that is what's more important. There's no need to feel sad about it anymore. As much as how I actually didn't want to leave you alone with those two idiots in our team, I regretted nothing. Even now I don't regret my decision to sacrifice my life for Naruto and Hinata-sama. I," Neji hesitated for a moment. "I thought you understood."

"I understood!" Tenten snapped. "I have never judged you, and will never. I understood your decision because everything you do was always reasonable. I didn't cry when you _died_ because I respected—no, I admired your decision even though it hurt. I just…" Neji could just hope she wasn't crying because her voice started to tremble. "I just still remember that painful day, that's all."

"Tenten…" He tried to pry her arms from him in order to turn around and hug her, reassuring her, but she didn't let him.

"No, don't turn around," she said, tightening her embrace. "I want to protect you. Like this."

Neji didn't answer, instead closing his eyes and placing his hands over her smaller ones.

"Neji," she whispered again. "I…"

"Shhh," he murmured soothingly. "Can we just forget it and enjoy our time together?"

When she was just silent, he turned around and took her chin gently, forcing her to look at him. "I'm here. Everything is _alright,_ why do you have to mourn over the past?" He felt relieved when she finally looked into his eyes, and silently glad because her chocolate eyes were only slightly wet. "I deserve a nice welcome home. Not your tears."

"I wasn't crying! I just—"

He kissed her gently for a few seconds before staring at those brown orbs. "I don't want your tears. Smile for me."

Tenten really smiled now, her palms resting on his cheeks. "Anything for you, Neji."

Neji was just about to continue what was supposed to be his nice welcome home, but halted when he heard light footsteps coming from the doorway.

The door slid open suddenly, revealing a five-year-old girl in her small Hyuuga robe. Her brown hair cascaded her back in tangled locks. Neji felt Tenten pull away from him before calling their daughter. "What happened, Maemi?"

The little girl didn't answer and just looked down at the floor, but Neji could see her shoulders shaking slightly. "Maemi?"

She finally lifted her head, and Neji was shocked to see tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong, Sweetie?" Tenten asked concernedly. "Come on, come here!"

Maemi let out a sob before rushing to her parents, launching herself into Neji's lap. Neji put his arms around his daughter in confusion as she cried. "Otou-san… Okaa-san…"

"What is it, Maemi?"

"I…" Maemi choked on her tears. "I…"

"Shhh," Tenten rubbed their daughter's back gently. "Calm down. We're here."

The girl needed a few seconds before her sobs subsided, dampening her father's front of shirt with her tears. Neji glanced questioningly at his wife who only shrugged. He looked down at Maemi and stroked her head. "Tell us what happened?"

She sniffled before answering. "I had a nightmare."

"Nightmare," he repeated. "What was it?"

"It was… it was terrible, I'm scared, I don't want…"

"It's okay. Just tell us."

Maemi pulled away a bit to look at her father's face with wide, fearful and tearful chocolate eyes. "In my dream, you were… you were dead."

Tenten inhaled sharply and Neji froze.

Their daughter's lips quivered. "I… I saw you lying on the ground with something… something piercing your chest."

Neji was sure his body ran cold. "There was so much blood, and you… and you were dead. I was scared, I wanted to help you but Okaa-san was nowhere and it was… I was scared…"

Before he realized it, he had pulled his daughter into a tight hug. She was still shivering, but he held her close, wanting to throw away her fear. "Enough."

"I was very sad," Maemi said between sobs. "I searched for Okaa-san, but she wasn't there. And you…"

"Enough." Neji said again, so soft that he himself was surprised. "Enough, Sweetie."

He was aware that it was rare for him to call his daughter with such an affectionate name—no, not because he didn't have a great affection for her, but because he liked her _real _name which Tenten had given her after she'd been born, and Neji once again wasn't a word-type man—but the little girl seemed to not realize it. However, after a few seconds she started to calm down.

Next to him, Tenten was just silent.

Neji pulled away, running his thumbs along his daughter's cheeks to wipe away the tears. He stared at the brown eyes that reminded him about the woman sitting next to him. The same eyes that reminded him so much about their past. The mixture of determination and innocence that reminded him about love.

Really, he loved those eyes.

"Don't be scared," he whispered. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. The nightmare is over."

Maemi sniffled again. "B-but…"

Neji took one of her hands, placing the small palm on his left chest. "Can you feel it? It's my heartbeat. I'm alive, I'm here to protect you. I'm not harmed, your mother is not harmed, and no one can harm you. Everything is alright."

"But why did that nightmare come?"

No one had told Maemi that her father had ever died once before getting resurrected again. She was too young to imagine something as horrible as it was. But apparently, the bond or connection she had with her father was too _strong;_ even the tragedy that she'd never known had occurred had haunted her dream.

Neji could only be amazed at this.

He realized he was silent for a long time because Tenten suddenly took Maemi from him, sitting her in her lap as she smiled at the brown eyed girl.

"Why did it come?" Tenten repeated. "Because you missed your father so much."

Maemi eyed her mother solemnly. "Is that so, Okaa-san?"

The Weapon Mistress nodded convincingly. "Sometimes I also have a nightmare when your father is on a long mission. But…" She threw a glance and a sincere smile at Neji. "I know everything is alright. As long as I have him, whether he is away or not," the Hyuuga man held his breathe as he waited for her to continue. "Everything will always be alright."

Neji couldn't say anything. A 'thank you for trusting me' wouldn't be enough.

"I understand," Maemi said suddenly. He could see her fear was gone, replaced with cheeriness that was so Tenten-and-Maemi like. Again, the little girl smiled the way Tenten smiled.

"Good," his wife grinned and kissed their daughter's unmarked forehead lovingly. "Now to kick away any nightmare that probably will haunt you again, how about you sleep with us tonight?"

Maemi's brown eyes sparkled as she stood up. "Of course!"

"Let's go then."

"Tenten, the dishes—"

"I'll do it tomorrow, Neji. Come on, Maemi! Have I promised you to tell the story about my first time using katana?"

"Yes! Yes! I want to use katana too when I'm older!"

"But Tenten, how about the nice welcome—"

"Or about Bashosen? Which one would you like, Beautiful?"

"Both!" Maemi exclaimed joyfully. "Oh, but before that, can we have a pillow fight again, Okaa-san? You will team up with me and we will fight against Otou-san! I'm sure we will beat him like the last time we smothered him with pillows until he gave up!"

"No, that was—"

"Ah yes, that sounds fun, Sweetie! Come on now, the first of us three to reach the room deserves extra dessert for lunch tomorrow!"

Maemi squealed in happiness as she ran towards the door, Tenten following not far behind. Leaving the upset husband and father alone whose jaw almost dropped to the floor.

But despite the chaos that night—because once again Neji lost the pillow fight against those two vibrant females—he came up with a conclusion.

If years ago, he'd been willing to give up his life for Hinata and Naruto who had changed his perception about life and fate and everything, now it wasn't about them anymore. Not because he didn't want it to be, but because he knew Naruto now was more than strong to protect himself and Hinata now had the blond man who would always protect her. He had finished his task as his younger cousin's protector.

Now Neji knew exactly for whose sake he would be always ready to die, even if there wouldn't be a chance for him to turn back to life anymore. He knew he wouldn't mind if he was torn to shreds, pierced by the sharpest weapon, drowned in the deepest water, burnt by the hottest fire or anything more painful than his death experience years ago. If that meant Tenten and Maemi were safe, he would do anything. Just like his father, Hyuuga Hizashi who had smilingly died to protect him.

Tenten and Maemi, his definition of real freedom and love, fate's gift for him as compensation for his old anguish and painful past.

His reason to live now and his reason to die later.

* * *

**(A/N):** I don't know whether you like family theme or not, but to me it is easier and more enjoyable to write. You see hidden message behind this chapter? I absolutely still refuse everything about Neji's death.

**Guest:** I didn't make her as submissive and always wanted to please Neji. If in the last scene she let Neji take the initiation, that was because they were still new to the whole thing. I assure you, it was only in the beginning. Cliché? Sorry then! But at least you still called it cute. Teehee.


	14. Your Shoulders

**(A/N):** Neji is dead? Yes, according to Naruto's creator. No, according to me.

* * *

Neji liked Tenten's shoulders.

He knew this thought was utterly ridiculous and would earn people's endless laughter and his damaged reputation as _Hyuuga Neji,_ but he couldn't keep the idea out of his head.

On their younger years, Tenten wore a sleeveless pink shirt that revealed her tanned arms and a bit—not really much—of her shoulders. Being Neji, of course he never thought about it, at all. The only thing he knew was the way her bare arm would brush against his when they sat next to each other. Oddly, he found he didn't mind. He didn't like physical contact, but after the first few times, he became used to it as long as it was her.

After becoming Chuunin, she changed her attire. She chose a sleeved white shirt, now covering her arms, and again Neji didn't think much about it.

They grew closer as days passed, the Weapon Mistress being the only person he trusted to protect his blind spot and the only person could keep up with his moody personality. He, in turn, was the only one she trusted to try her new weapon on, and the only one who spent New Year Eve with her that year.

She asked why, he only answered that he'd celebrated almost seventeen New Year Eve with his _boring_ family and this time he wanted something new. She thanked him with something in her brown eyes he could barely read, but somehow he knew the meaning: she had no family to celebrate New Year with. As they watched the fireworks above, he couldn't help staring at her happy expression and hoped that even though she had no family, he was enough for her.

From that night, as he watched her—in a beautiful pink kimono, hair braided, dazzling smile curved pink lips and brown eyes gleamed under the fireworks' light, he realized something he'd been suppressed inside himself all this time.

Still, he didn't make any move, only letting it flow—they were still young and Neji didn't like having anything rushed. He needed time; even he was still too stubborn to admit his feelings for her—other than saying quietly to himself that he liked having her around. He lived in denial, perhaps until one day on a mission that he both regretted and thanked.

After finishing their one-week mission, Tenten demanded that they stay in an inn with hot springs for two days before travelling back to Konoha. They had completed the mission early than expected and still had a few days before Tsunade wanted their report.

Lee agreed, and Neji as the captain couldn't object as Tenten crossed her arms and glared at him, saying something about rest and relaxation.

They booked two rooms, one for Tenten and the other for Neji and Lee—although Neji was not so pleased with the prospect of sharing a room with his exuberant teammate—and fortunately, the only guests there were the three, which made the owner was more than happy to welcome them. After dropping her belongings, the bun haired girl happily said that she would take a nice soak and that the boys weren't allowed to look for her in the next one hour even if there was trouble or evil ninja or such; she wanted to rest.

Neji and Lee then decided to use men's hot springs not long after, and because Lee couldn't stop swimming from one side of the pool to another, splashing hot water to the Hyuuga prodigy's face and shouting ridiculous things, Neji decided it was enough.

He grumpily left, ignoring Lee's disappointed comments and went to the changing room.

That was when he heard a familiar shout from the next room.

Instantly alerted, Neji bolted out of the room, forgetting that he was only wrapped in a white, small towel, before he found Tenten in women's changing room only in a white, almost too small towel, too.

He only reached the door when he saw her, standing with her back facing him, her hair still up in two identical buns.

He knew his honor as a Hyuuga was questioned at this point, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Tenten's shoulders. Slightly tanned, their shoulders were far from what he'd ever imagined—not that he had ever thought about it, no—but he honestly hadn't thought she owned the most beautiful, delicate and looked-so-soft shoulders he'd ever seen—not that he had seen any girl's bare shoulders before, this was the first time he saw a girl clad in a towel only—and Neji had always thought every part of her would be so ninja-like. Even her hands were rough from overusing weapons, and she had once joked about how she would get men's muscular arms if she continued to train that hard with Team Gai. Now, he knew he'd been wrong.

"You, creepiest creature on the earth!" Tenten yelled hysterically, bringing him back to the scene before him, "how dare you—!"

His jaw almost dropped when Tenten produced a shuriken out of nowhere and hurled it to her helpless shirt on the floor, which looked like it had been thrown by her due to fear.

Fear to a small cockroach, he noticed, as he found with his sharp eyes what she had called the creepiest creature on the earth being stabbed by her shuriken not far from the shirt. As Tenten huffed and picked up her white top, Neji quickly disappeared, thanking God that Tenten hadn't sensed his chakra because he was sure otherwise he would have gotten at least one kunai piercing his chest, for seeing her only in a towel.

For the first time in his life, that evening Neji took cold shower with the intention of clearing his mind from the picture of his beautiful teammate in a towel, something he had never imagined he would have to do. It was when Neji realized that he was an adult now.

He tried to forget about her shoulders, or to be exact, the image of her wearing nothing other than a small cloth, even until two years later when they were nineteen.

He woke up to the sound of Sakura checking the monitor beside him, the pink haired woman released a relieved sigh as she observed his condition. She told him that he'd been in a coma for six days straight after his last mission with Shikamaru, and that Tenten had waited for him to wake up until yesterday. The brown haired kunoichi had been hesitant when Tsunade had called her yesterday to go on a mission, but Sakura had promised her that Neji would be alright and she would take care of him.

It brought a smirk to his lips, and he still smirked when hours later a weary Tenten came back to visit him. Her eyes went wide and she slumped in a chair beside him, watching him with tired look.

"You're always troublesome," she whispered, and he wondered what Shikamaru had done to her while he'd been unconscious. "Stop making me worried, will you? I was scared as hell."

The way she said it made him amazed at how she could not shed any tear. Any other girl would have cried, but Tenten didn't. Because simply, that was the Tenten he knew.

He took her hand silently, making her confused but he tugged at it so she sat in the little space next to him. Without words, they stared at each other and finally he pulled her into a hug, ignoring his sore injuries.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder. She didn't answer, instead tightening her arms around his waist carefully, and he knew this.

On her shoulder, he felt free; unburdened by anything. This was his own heaven. He closed his eyes, letting Tenten trace soft patterns on his back as if she knew that he needed this state of peace.

Three years later, they got married.

Words couldn't describe how he felt that day, the day when everyone and everything in this universe finally admitted that she, Tenten, belonged to him and him only. Of course it hadn't been simple like a fairytale; just like other couples they argued with each other and there were clan issues and sometimes he wondered how she could make him do stupid things and change himself almost completely. But she reassured him with her brown eyes and wide smile that they had nothing to fear, nothing to be worried about.

That night, after they expressed their love, passion and affection for each other, with their hearts still raced and breath came out in heavy pants, he dropped his head to rest against her left shoulder, burying his face in it and inhaling her intoxicating smell.

"Thank you." He whispered, caressing her soft shoulder with his lips. Tenten let out an amused chuckle, running her hand through his tangled long hair before pushing her to his side so she could lay her head on his strong chest.

His fingers unconsciously stroked her shoulder before they both drifted off to sleep.

One year later, their first and only child was born.

Neji, who had been thrilled at the prospect of being a father, quietly promised Tenten and their baby girl that he would make a good father, if not the best. She smiled up at him, showing no doubts about it, somehow making him more confident and determined that he would make his late father proud.

One rainy night, Neji woke up to find the space beside him empty. Quietly he slipped out of the bed, putting on his Hyuuga night robe as he walked to the next room.

Tenten stood facing their baby's crib, holding their six-month-old child in her arms. Their daughter's small chin rested on her mother's shoulder, eyes closed as she slept peacefully to the sound of Tenten's gentle lullaby and the soothing rocking motion.

Neji smiled, that was one of rare moments he felt so content. He could never ask for a better wife—and a better mother for his child. Even their daughter loved her shoulders, the place where the innocent baby felt safe, loved and protected.

He never admitted to her about this whole shoulder thing.

On a winter when they were forty five, they got an ANBU mission in Snow Country.

"I wonder who's going to die first."

They were in a small cave, too small for two of them that their feet remained outside. The storm hadn't subsided yet, they practically couldn't see anything.

Judging from the storm and how abandoned the place was, Neji knew the rescue team needed a few days to find them, not to mention the country was far away from Konoha. Ten hours ago, they had killed the enemies thus completing the mission, but actually the ten enemies had run to this unfamiliar place to try to escape, forcing them to fight under dark sky and falling snow. Neji and his wife had finally managed to kill all of them after hours of battle, resulting in a few severe injuries for Tenten and no more chakra for him to use Byakugan—let alone a storm finally started; they were in a place they knew nothing about.

They had tried to find a way out, but all they could see was snow, trees, snow and trees. Storm didn't seem would stop that they finally decided: they would die here, from the cold, from injuries, from thirst and hunger. From fate.

Speaking was hard, but at least their last strength still allowed them to do. "Hn."

Tenten let out a small chuckle. "Even in this condition, you still use that damn monosyllabic answer."

They were in each other's arms, even if there was no warmth left for each body. Neji rested his chin on her shoulder as Tenten leaned completely into his chest, burying her face in his shoulder as well. "We're going to die together."

"I know, Neji. It will take the rescuers at least a week from now to find us."

"I know."

"Neji," her voice came softer. "I'm not afraid to go. But what… what will happen after our death?"

"Everything will be fine." Neji answered, more confident than he'd intended it to be. "If you're asking about Kiyomi, she'll be fine. She's almost twenty two and more mature than people her age. She'll cry for one hour and then scold herself for crying before training harder to show us she can _do_ it." Even if smiling required some amount of strength—his lips was almost frozen—Neji could feel his lips lift upwards. "She'll be proud of us instead."

"We're going to watch her after we die, right?"

"Yes."

"How about Lee?"

"We lost Gai-sensei three years ago and after a week of mourning, he came back to his usual self. He's going to accept our death quickly, even if that means he's the only one left in Team Gai."

"How about… our village?"

He closed his eyes, imagining the picture of Konoha with warm sunshine, with people happily walking through the streets, busy ninja running from one rooftop to another, and children playing around the park. The image was so perfect that it even brought a bit of warmth to him—even if only to his heart—and he hugged his wife tighter with remaining energy he could muster, hoping he could share the little warmth with her.

"Konoha will be fine. As will we."

He felt her nod before her voice got weaker. "Whoever goes first… promise me that we'll meet again there."

"I promise." He said. "It's not the end."

"You're right," she agreed quietly. "It's not the end."

For the next one minute, no one spoke again. He felt her arms around him loosened, the only thing that told Neji that somewhere in the previous one minute, Tenten had gone. The familiar body leaning on him now was lifeless.

He smiled. She had died on his shoulder, and now it was his turn. Just a minute, Tenten, he said inwardly, I'm going to meet you. Don't be impatient.

He closed his eyes, keeping his chin rested on her frozen shoulder and waiting for time to take him to meet Tenten in other world.

Less than a minute later Neji drifted off to an eternal sleep, in Tenten's numb arms. Even though he had never said it to her, he knew she'd known about his special love for her shoulders, even Fate allowed him to take his last breath while he was burying his face in it.

* * *

That was how Konoha rescue team found them ten days later, rigid as stone and covered with thick snow. But the two were found hugging each other; leaving a sweet tale for Konoha people to speak about from generation to generation.

* * *

**(A/N):** Character death again, sorry. At least they got together at the ending. I'm not that cruel to kill off people's hopes *glancing at certain manga creator*

I felt better after reading reviews for my oneshot 'Unknown Love Story'—you all feel the same. On the day I saw Neji's grave picture, I thought I wouldn't be able to read or write fanfics anymore, but now I've come to realization: to hell with canon. Canon means nothing anymore to me… since long ago, since December 2012.

I realize this, I can't help fangirling everytime I read NejiTen fanfics, grinning everytime I see Tenten's new design, and squealing everytime I see Neji's picture.


	15. I'm Sick and I'm Not Alone

**(A/N):** Here, **Ami1010**'s request—apparently she likes little Maemi. Hope you'll like it!

* * *

"So, that's all for today," Shikamaru said. "To sum up everything, fortunately our village is in peace right now. Affiliations with other villages are fine, and now is the right time to do some renovations—for academy, hospital and other public buildings. Tomorrow, as Hokage Naruto wants, I request every available Jounin's presence in the next meeting to discuss about…"

The meeting room door opened suddenly, revealing a blue haired Chuunin holding a little girl's hand next to him. All eyes turned to the girl as Hyuuga Neji stood and spoke in surprise, considering the little girl was more than familiar to him. "Maemi? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry for interrupting," the Chuunin said, "I found her pacing back and forth in the hall and she said she wanted to meet her father. I told her she couldn't meet him, but—"

"Otou-san!" The brown eyed girl released the Chuunin's hand and ran to her father, ignoring the looks she received from everyone in the room. "Otou-san! This is bad! You have to come home!"

"What's wrong?"

"Okaa-san is sick," she said in a worried child's tone, pulling at his sleeve after she reached him. "I came home from playing with Himawari to find her asleep on the couch. Her face was flushed and she was sleeping with two blankets!"

"What's wrong with two blankets, little flower?" Lee asked from beside Neji.

Maemi looked at her favorite uncle with incredulous look that somehow didn't suit her very young feature. "The weather is warm and it is only afternoon! It would be too hot to sleep with thick blankets." She turned to Neji again. "Come on, Otou-san! You have to check on her condition and take her to the hospital!"

All the men in the room tried to contain their laughter. Neji resisted the urge to sigh before he lifted his daughter into his arms. "Calm down. I knew she was sick. She told me this morning before I left."

"Then why did you go?" Maemi glared at her father. "You should have stayed home to take care of her!"

"I would if only your mother allowed me to," he said. "Besides, I don't think she is _that_ sick that she needs hospital treatment."

"But, Otou-san," Maemi almost cried out in frustration, "she didn't finish the laundry!"

"What is it with the laundry?" Kiba interrupted amusedly. Neji remembered the dog lover liked to tease Maemi to no end, probably because the girl was known as one of the brightest among the rookies' children—sure, she was Hyuuga Neji's child after all.

As a matter of fact, before her there hadn't been any of their children intruding a Jounin meeting.

The little girl pouted at the Inuzuka man. "My mother never leaves anything unfinished," she said. "She also won't let me go to bed if I haven't brushed my teeth and washed my feet yet."

"Well," Shikamaru coughed, attracting everyone's attention, "your father had to come here because the meeting was very important. It's over though."

Maemi smiled in triumph at Neji. "Can we go home now?"

The Hyuuga man let out a sharp breath in defeat. "Fine." He lowered his daughter to the floor to collect his papers on the desk in front of him. "Give me a minute."

"How did you get here, little flower?" Lee asked concernedly. "You came alone?"

"Yes. I am six now."

"How if there was a kidnapper?" Akimichi Chouji added. "Or bandits?"

"I have this," Maemi pulled out a shuriken out of nowhere—so fast like a grown up ninja that the men's eyes widened because they couldn't see where she had kept it. The little girl smiled at them. "This is my first weapon. My mother gave me this on my third birthday. I always bring it everywh—"

"What?!"

The brown haired girl blinked innocently. "Eh?"

"You mean," Kiba stared at her in horror, "she started to give you a _shuriken_ as a toy? When you were only three? And you've never hurt yourself?"

"Okaa-san told me I started to play with her weapons since I was one," the Hyuuga girl stated with sparkling brown eyes—just like Tenten, weapon was her favorite topic in the world—unaware that everyone's jaw almost dropped to the floor. "But she only allowed me to keep a weapon for myself after I was three. She always says weapons can't hurt me."

"Troublesome… but not surprising."

"Seriously, Neji," Kiba looked at the girl's father in disbelief. "What kind of woman did you actually marry?"

Neji glared at him and the dog man muttered something about 'must be a scary wife' under his breath, probably comparing Tenten to his sweet, lovely, cat-lover wife at home.

"Do not speak about Tenten in such unyouthful way, Kiba," Lee said. "I am in fact so touched by this! Tenten is a very honorable mother. She lets her daughter inherit not only her features, but also her abilities and skills as well. Ah! How truly weapon mistresses she and Maemi really are!"

"Really, Lee-sensei?" Maemi beamed. She always called him sensei by the bowl haired man's request, even though he wasn't really her teacher. "I am a weapon mistress too?"

"Of course, little flower! I can see those flames of youth radiating from you!"

"Thank you, Lee-sensei!"

"I know that," Aburame Shino who was happened to be her teacher in academy said quietly. He gave her a small smile—it was hard for everyone even as reserved as him to not smile at this girl. "You are very skilled in using weapons."

"Thank you, Shino-sensei!"

The lavender eyed man who could only listen to the whole conversation rubbed his temple. "I thought you were forcing me to go home, Maemi."

The six-year-old girl looked up at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, Otou-san."

"Well, now I really have to leave," Neji grabbed his daughter's hand. "If there's nothing else we should talk about, then I'm going home to check my wife's condition."

* * *

Tenten buried her face deeper into her pillow.

She felt so awful—with throbbing headache, annoying nausea and unbearable cold. She'd been sick a few times before, but never as bad as this. When had been the last time she'd felt like this?

Ah. It had been years ago on a winter when she'd been still a Genin, when she'd still lived alone in her small apartment. There had been a snowstorm and she'd curled up into a ball in her bed, alone, without anyone's company, with no one to take care of her. She'd been so weak to even grab some water in the kitchen and too sick to be able to sleep. Even if she could, she would wake up from nightmares and terrible dreams before staring at the ceiling, waiting for nothing while the minutes had passed so slowly like months. She herself had wondered the next morning after she'd felt better, how could she hadn't been dead after that night?

Remembering that dreadful experience made her head even heavier and she wanted to vomit all of a sudden.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Tenten tried to tell herself that it had happened in the past only. No matter how terrible the memory was, it had been in the _past_ and would never happen again. Never.

She was shocked when she felt something warm on her cheeks. Fool. People said someone could be very emotional when sick, but she hadn't shed any tear that very night, why did she have to cry now? What kind of kunoichi she was, crying over a trivial memory?

Or perhaps, the memory wasn't that unimportant. It reminded her that she'd once been _alone, _with no one to look after her and take care of her, no _family_. No one had been with her to…

"Okaa-san?"

Tenten opened her eyes in surprise. Though her vision was a little blurred, she could make out Maemi's worried face and recognize her voice. "Okaa-san, why are you crying?"

Quickly, she reached up to wipe her cheeks. "It's nothing. When did you come back, Sweetie?"

The little girl didn't answer. "Okaa-san, are you in pain? Should we take you to hospital?"

"Tenten? How are you feeling?" Neji's familiar, comforting voice was suddenly heard, before she saw her husband crouching down in front of the couch she'd been resting in.

She forced back tears that suddenly insisted to get out of her eyes.

"Hey," Neji said in a lower voice, his hand brushing a few damp strands of brown hair out of her forehead, "Tenten, can you hear me?"

Swallowing, Tenten clutched her blankets with her fingers tightly. "Yes."

"You should move into bedroom. Let me help you." Neji took her hands and helped her up into sitting position. Her head was spinning and he seemed to realize it as he squeezed her hands softly.

"Okaa-san," Maemi's voice was heard again. "Please don't cry."

Hearing her daughter's words didn't stop her tears, instead, she was finally crying silently with mixed emotions she failed to describe. Pathetic, probably, but she was too weak to even care.

"No, Okaa-san, please stop crying! I've never seen you crying before." Maemi sounded panic. Tenten felt little arms wrapped around her form the next second; her daughter was hugging her.

"I'm here," her daughter whispered, and Tenten wished she could stop looking weak in front of the girl now. "Otou-san is also here. You're not alone. We are here to take care of you."

One of the few traits the girl inherited from her father was this. Maemi was very smart, mature and understanding for children her age. Just like Neji, she always knew what was wrong with Tenten and how to make her feel better.

If only she could be as strong as her daughter.

Somehow, the feel of her daughter's arms around her and Neji's palm rubbing her back gently calmed her down.

She had Neji and Maemi. She wasn't alone.

Maemi pulled away and wiped Tenten's tears with her small thumbs, smiling as their similar chocolate eyes met. "Where has the cheerful Okaa-san gone?" When she got no answer, Maemi continued. "Don't be sad anymore. Look, Otou-san is worried now."

For the first time, Tenten noticed her husband who kept being silent with eyes closed tightly.

"I'm…" Tenten said hoarsely, "I'm sorry."

Neji finally looked at her—so many emotions swirling in his usually impassive pale orbs—and reached her hand, intertwining their fingers together. "Don't be."

Maemi looked at her father seriously. "Should we call a doctor?"

Tenten let out a laugh for the first time that day, and she could see Neji smirk in amusement. "No, Sweetie. I just need to rest, that's all."

"But…"

"Bring your mother's blankets to the bedroom," Neji said to their child. "I'm going to take her there."

"Okay." Maemi pulled Tenten's blankets and folded them carefully. Tenten shivered a bit, but Neji's presence warmed her—he lifted her up bridal style. Feeling grateful, she buried her face in his chest as Neji walked to their room, Maemi following with blankets in her arms.

He put her on the bed gently and Maemi pulled the blankets up to cover her form. Tenten stroked the girl's head and smiled a little. "Thank you."

Maemi smiled back. "I'm going to make you tea."

Before her mother could answer, Neji spoke. "Stay here Maemi. I'm going to prepare it."

"No," the girl said stubbornly. "I can make tea by myself. I won't hurt my fingers, I promise!"

Sighing, Neji gave up in an instant. "Fine, just be careful."

"Of course!" With that, the energetic little girl ran out of the room.

Tenten watched after her fondly before she felt Neji's large palm on the back of her hand. "She was right. Don't be sad anymore."

"I…" She searched for words. "I wasn't sad. I was just remembering those days… before you two came into my life."

He kissed her hand gently. "Now we are here, what else do you need?"

She stared at her husband, too speechless to say anything. Her next answer was honest. "Nothing."

Smirking, he pressed his lips to the silver ring on one of her fingers. "Then I believe everything is fine now."

"Yes," she said, a bit sheepishly. "Forget it, Neji. I was being overly emotional."

"I know. You're sick after all."

She nodded as they started to fall into a comfortable silence.

"_Are you going to leave?"_

_Neji glanced at the clock on the wall__—__it was late at night__—__then at her. "Yes."_

_Tenten took a deep breath unconsciously, then smiled at him. "Okay."_

_She expected him to get up, but he didn't move. "What's wrong, Tenten?"_

_This was Neji, it would be strange if he didn't notice something was wrong with her. To distract him, she shook her head before leaning forward to kiss his bare, unmarked forehead. "Nothing. Goodnight, Neji."_

_She followed him to her front door as usual. He kissed her briefly on the cheek, then prepared to leave and__—_

"_Please stay."_

_Neji stared at her in shock, and Tenten herself was more than shocked that the words had just slipped out of her mouth._

_She closed her eyes, hugging her own arms as she tried to control her emotions. "Please. We don't need to do anything. Just stay with me, it will be enough."_

_She didn't know why, but perhaps it had something to do with her nightmare the night before. She'd dreamt about Neji's death in the war, and her heart had been aching even after she'd woken up. She didn't want waking up from a nightmare to find herself alone in her room anymore, even if she knew Neji was safe in his own house, even if she'd gotten used to wake up in the middle of the night in her empty apartment since she'd been a child._

_Or was she tired enough of being alone?_

"_Tenten."_

"_Please Neji," her voice sounded weak, but she needed him and she wanted to let him know that she needed him. ""I… I don't want to be alone this night."_

_She was in his arms the next second as he pulled her back into her apartment, kicking the door closed with his foot._

"_If so," his breath felt so warm in her ear, "marry me."_

_Shocked, Tenten pulled away to see his face. He was staring at her with those moonlike eyes, and she got the feeling that he actually hadn't planned this. He didn't even have any ring with him right now._

_But Hyuuga Neji was always serious and he never played with her heart, and she knew he'd been dying to ask her this; he'd been waiting for the right time and it was now. It was now or never._

_She breathed the word an inch away from his lips. "Yes."_

_That night, she fell asleep in his arms without any haunting nightmare__—__even if it dared to come, he was there to soother her and calm her down, lulling her back to sleep._

Minutes later, Maemi appeared with a glass of steaming tea in her hand.

"Your tea is ready!" The Hyuuga girl said cheerfully. "See, Otou-san? I didn't burn my fingers with the hot water."

"Aa. Good job."

"But Okaa-san needs to eat before taking medicine, right?"

"Right." Neji helped the girl placing the glass on the bedside table. "What do you want to eat, Tenten?"

"I'm not hungry."

"I know!" Maemi clapped her hands. "We are going to make something. Usually you cook for us, but now is our turn!"

Tenten couldn't help laughing softly. "Can you?"

"Of course. Otou-san cannot cook something as delicious as you, but I'm sure you will like it because I'm going to help him."

"Maemi…"

The girl beamed at her father. "Come on, it's cooking time!" She ran to the door, obviously expecting Neji to follow.

Tenten smiled at her husband. "You should join her before she could make a mess."

The Hyuuga man grunted. "Alright. Just wait here, okay? Call me if you need something."

_Three hours before the sun came out, Tenten opened her eyes to hear a familiar voice coming from the next room._

_Her lips formed a gentle smile as she got out of the bed. Waking up each night like this was better than her alone nights, even if it meant she wouldn't get enough sleep._

_Maemi's cry filled the quiet house, but subsiding a bit after Tenten took her from the crib, cradling the small form to her chest. "Shhh, don't be scared. You're not alone."_

_The baby started to calm down in her mother's arms. Tenten buried her face in the soft strands of dark brown hair__—__and grinned as she felt a pair of arms around her waist. "Neji."_

_He put his chin on her shoulder, watching their daughter who started to fall back to sleep. "You're not alone."_

_She was not alone. "Yes."_

She was almost asleep when half an hour later, Maemi and Neji came back—this time with a bowl of vegetable soup on a tray.

"I'm sorry we took so long," Neji said apologetically, and Tenten noticed with amusement that his hair was up and he was still wearing a white apron. As if realizing that, he added with somewhat irritated look. "She told me to put my hair up during cooking to prevent any strand of hair fall into the food. And I honestly didn't want to wear this thing." He referred to the white cloth around his waist.

"Okaa-san always tells me to put my hair up before preparing foods and wear an apron while cooking," Maemi defended and pointed at her own brown hair that had been pulled up into a bun. She giggled as her father removed his apron.

"I don't have any problem with hair loss, Maemi."

"But your hair is long, even longer than mine!"

"But my hair is healthier."

"Ugh… fine! Your hair is also prettier."

"… I am not pretty."

"Yes, you are! Otou-san is _beautiful!_"

Neji's eyebrow twitched. "I am not beautiful."

"You looked cute in that apron."

Frowning, Neji glared at Maemi—even though Tenten knew he did it in a playful way since it was for their daughter. "I _am_ not cute."

Tenten giggled too, finding this scene more than just adorable. "Are you two going to let me eat?"

Both father and daughter finally stopped their glaring contest. Maemi jumped to sit in the space beside her mother and smiled widely. "When I was little, you used to feed me. Now it's my turn."

"Let me do that instead," Neji said.

"I can do that! Okaa-san, who do you choose? Me or Otou-san?"

"Do I really have to choose?"

"Yes, you have to. Choose me, please?"

Neji shook his head. "That is unfair."

Completely forgetting about her sickness, Tenten laughed wholeheartedly.

_Tenten opened her eyes only to close it again the next second. She didn't know what time it was, but she heard her husband and five-year-old daughter talking quietly._

"_No, Maemi," she heard Neji's voice. "It will wake her up."_

"_Come on, Otou-san." Even without looking, Tenten knew their daughter was using her puppy eyes trick to break Neji's usually strong will. "It's morning already! We should wake her up in a different way."_

"…"

"_Otou-san, you're no fun. Pretty pleaseee?"_

_A sigh from Neji. Tenten grinned inwardly; the puppy eyes had won whatever it was that Maemi was planning. "Okay."_

_She could hear Maemi's muffled giggle and the rustle of the bedcovers. Two seconds later, she felt someone's lips on each of her cheek._

_Neji kissed her right cheek while Maemi kissed the left one._

_She opened her eyes to be greeted by her little girl's cheerful voice, "Good morning!"_

_Tenten laughed as Maemi started to babble about whatever it was, and she felt Neji's fingers reaching to interlace with hers. What a good morning._

_Those mornings when she'd woken up alone in her empty, quiet home had passed._

That afternoon after finishing the soup—Maemi of course had won the argument about feeding her mother. Neji had said the food would've tasted a lot worse had she been healthy; her tongue must haven't been in normal condition right now—and swallowing some medicines, Tenten fell asleep with Maemi and Neji by each of her side.

She had been alone in her younger years because fate had kept this special for her. Just so she would appreciate this to no end in her future.

* * *

**(A/N): **Because the term 'alone' isn't always about Naruto and Sasuke—we can talk about other characters too.

Family theme again, since in my mind Neji is alive and married to Tenten and they live happily ever after with ten babies. I also mentioned Himawari because in my head the scene where the girl put sunflowers on _Neji's grave_ never happened. That panel was just a joke to mock me, ha.

I'm becoming an expert at ranting :)


	16. NejiTen Sounds Good

**(A/N):** Sequel to chapter 5: _My Teammate_.

* * *

All of the girls knew that there was something going on between Tenten and Neji.

No matter how the two acted normally in front of others as if they were _just_ teammates, their friends could see what the Weapon Mistress and her male teammate thought they couldn't. Ever since their Genin days, each of them had asked or teased Tenten at least once about this. What she always said was: "He is my teammate."

But in the end, she would always realize that they had been right.

Tenten and Ino were on the way back to Konoha. It wasn't often for them to be teamed up and they still had enough time to report the mission, so they enjoyed the warm weather while walking at a slow pace and chatting about a few topics.

"So, everyone is now training hard to become stronger," Ino said. "I think Naruto leaving the village to train with Jiraiya-sannin has brought positive impacts for everyone. We all are challenged to be better."

"You're right," Tenten nodded.

"Even Sakura is Tsunade-sama's student now," the blonde continued. "As much as how I will never admit it to her, I admire her determination to be stronger, whatever her goal is. She even had the gut to ask Tsunade-sama to be her teacher. Also, not everyone is lucky enough to be Hokage's apprentice."

Tenten smiled in affirmation. Although she had ever dreamed of being a legendary kunoichi like the Fifth Hokage, she hadn't been jealous when she'd heard her childhood idol would train Haruno Sakura. Gai-sensei had once said that her specialty was weapons and no one had better weapon skills than her to be able to teach her.

"I don't want to be left behind, that's why I've been training with my father recently. How about your training?"

"Well," Tenten chuckled, "I don't have a father to train with."

Ino frowned in guilt. "Tenten-san, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's okay." Tenten smiled and patted the younger's girl arm in reassurance. "I have a team after all. I've been training harder with them lately."

All of a sudden, Ino stared at her with a smirk. "You mean training with the number one rookie in your team?"

"You mean Neji?" Tenten raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but I train with Lee too."

"Are you sure? As far as I know, Lee is too preoccupied with Gai-sensei and that leaves you two a chance to train together."

Tenten sighed. "Actually yes. Most of the time Neji can't handle Lee and our sensei's insanity and he—"

"So that's true!" Ino cut her off. "That means you two always train together in your secret training ground. _All day._ I heard this Hyuuga is a training freak."

Tenten was about to say something when Ino spoke again. "Seriously, no other girl would be able to keep up with that jerk. What makes you can stand him?"

"Jerk?" Tenten laughed. "What did he do to you?"

Ino widened her eyes. "You didn't know?"

Because Tenten shook her head no, Ino began the tale of her experience at Chuunin exam in the Forest of Death. About how Neji had _bastardly _rejected her without even giving her a glance. Tenten found herself laughing almost hysterically.

"To be honest I wasn't serious flirting with him—it was for the sake of my team only. But really," Ino ranted furiously, "I hadn't expected a reaction like that! That heartless, cold—"

"He's not that bad, Ino," this time Tenten cut her friend off. "He was, but now his behavior is much better after fighting Naruto. He isn't as bitter as he was."

The younger girl sighed. "As much as I still hold a grudge against him, Tenten-san," she started to smirk again, more mischievous this time. "It would be nice to see you two dating. You will make a cute couple."

Tenten rolled her chocolate eyes. "Don't be ridiculous," she said. "He is my teammate. My own _family_."

"Oh, come on! He's pretty handsome and a genius. He's also strong, popular, has a sexy voice…"

"So?"

"You have more advantages than any girl who's chasing after him. You are his teammate and you spend many hours together. That means you have his trust!"

"Can we talk about other topic?" Tenten asked. She liked Ino, but the blonde's romantic and girly side was proven to exhaust her.

Pouting, Ino narrowed her eyes at the brunette. "Wait until you realize that you have fallen deeply for that teammate of yours, then."

Tenten laughed at that. She found Neji handsome, yes, she admired Neji's skills and determination, yes, but falling for him deeply? Obviously would never. She was lucky enough to be his reliable, trusted training partner after all; she wasn't going to break their peaceful bond as teammates now by falling for him.

However, she didn't need a long time before what Ino had said finally happened.

She fell for him as deep as one could fall.

* * *

"Good morning, Hinata," Tenten greeted Neji's cousin cheerfully at the Hyuuga compound's gate. "You're on a day off?"

The long haired girl smiled back at her shyly. "Good morning, Tenten-san. Yes, I don't have any mission today. A-are you waiting for Neji-nii-san?"

"Yeah, he's still gathering his things. We're going to a long mission in Suna."

Hinata suddenly blushed and fidgeted with her fingers, making Tenten raise an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Startled, Hinata began to stutter. "I-it's nothing. I-I'm just glad that Neji nii-san has already reached Jounin rank."

Grinning, Tenten relished the memory last night. He had told her that he'd requested Tsunade-sama to let him take missions with Team Gai as usual. It made her relieved; he wasn't going to leave their team and _her. _"So am I. He really deserves it."

Both were silent for a moment until Hinata broke it. "Thank you," she bowed to the bun haired girl. "Thank you, Tenten-san."

Tenten could only stare at her in confusion. "For what, Hinata?"

The younger girl lifted her head, her pearly eyes shimmered. "F-for being there for my cousin. He is lucky to have you."

Tenten smiled. "He's my teammate. Of course I will always be there for him."

Hinata looked hesitant at first. "No, Tenten-san. He always looks happy and more relaxed around you. I-I mean…"

"Stop it," the Weapon Mistress cut her off softly. "No need to thank me."

Neji appeared before Hinata could respond.

Tenten wondered if what his cousin had said was true. She had never thought that Neji always looked happy and relaxed when she was around. What she only knew was that they had grown closer as time passed by. However, not long after that she started to realize the Hyuuga heiress' words.

She could see from his eyes that he looked completely happy and unburdened by anything everytime she smiled up at him.

* * *

"He was really worried about you."

Tenten had just come back from a mission and visited her favorite dango shop when Sakura, who had been sitting alone, waved to her from the table in the corner. So there they were now, talking together accompanied by tea and some dumplings.

Pretending that she didn't know who Sakura meant, she arched an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Neji-san," Sakura nodded, "when he brought you to the hospital and urged me to save you." She chuckled, taking a bite of a dango in her hand. "If only you saw his expression. It was nice to see some emotions in his usually impassive eyes."

Holding back a smile, Tenten laughed. "Of course. He's my teammate."

Sakura didn't know that the moment the brunette had opened her eyes from her unconscious state, Neji had kissed her gently on the lips for the first time.

It had been a month since that night. They continued to train and complete missions together as usual. The only difference was there were secret kisses now, whenever they were alone without anyone watching. Their kiss was always simple, direct and honest just like the way Neji was. She knew it was one of his ways to say _I love you_, since Neji didn't seem to have the ability to say it out loud. She knew him very well, after all.

"Tenten-san?"

She blinked.

Sakura was smirking at her. "You've been thinking about him, I think."

The brunette shook her head with a grin. "Nah, don't be too sure Sakura."

"Actually I am. We, I mean me, Ino and Hinata know that there's something going on between you and Neji."

"Mm," Tenten mumbled. "I've heard about that countless times already."

The medic girl shrugged. "We won't stop talking about that until you admit it."

She decided not to answer.

"Hey," Sakura leaned forward, staring at her with a pair of jade eyes, "isn't he the most important person in your life?"

"Wha…" Tenten's sentence trailed off. Sakura wasn't teasing her as usual; there was some kind of seriousness in her expression. "What do you mean?"

"I can see it. You care about him the most and you will do anything for him. I just want to confirm it."

When she didn't answer, Sakura leaned back and chuckled. "Alright, alright. Let's not talk about it."

When she came home to find Neji sleeping on her couch, she couldn't help but lean down to place a kiss on his curse seal.

She realized Sakura's words earlier were right; Neji was the most important person in her life. He was her brother, her teammate, her best friend, her sparring partner, her _lover_. Everything was in him.

She had never felt this grateful before.

* * *

The day Tenten admitted to the girls that she and Neji were in a relationship was the day they came to her small apartment for the first time.

They had just finished shopping together—it was a rare chance to hang out together that none of them would throw away. The brunette kunoichi had protested why it had to be her place, but the other girls had reasoned that they had never visited her apartment before.

"Finally," Sakura placed her shopping bags on the counter, followed by Hinata. "Not gonna lie, shopping together is always able to refresh my mind."

"It's been too long, isn't it?" Ino added. "By the way Tenten-san, do you have to keep weapons everywhere? It's a bit disconcerting!"

"Go to the kitchen if you want some water," Tenten said, ignoring Ino's previous comment. "I'm sorry I haven't cleaned this room today. As a matter of fact, I was going to iron these when you invited me to go out." She grabbed a pile of unfolded, still-wrinkled clothes from the couch with the intention of moving them into her bedroom so her friends could sit. "I'll be right back."

Unbeknownst to her, a piece of cloth slipped from the pile in her arms to the floor, and unbeknownst to Hinata, she stepped on it while walking to the couch. She lost her balance and slipped successfully with typical girl's shriek, only with different word: "Naruto-kuuun!"

"Hinata!" Tenten turned around, having just reached the door to her bedroom. "What happened?"

The Hyuuga girl was on the floor, rubbing her sore knees and grimacing in pain. Her face was super red from embarrassment. "I-I just slipped…"

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked, and Tenten had a feeling it wasn't only her who wisely bit her tongue to not ask Hinata why on earth it had to be Naruto she'd shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Y-yes. I'm sorry to startle you all, I was careless."

Ino approached her. "I saw this slipping from the pile you're holding, Tenten-san." She crouched down to collect the black piece of material that had gracefully humiliated Hinata.

Tenten's eyes widened as she realized what it was. She screamed in horror, making the other girls jump in shock. "Ino! Give it to me!"

Too late. Ino had picked it up and held it above eye level with two hands for all to see: a man's boxers.

Sakura's jaw dropped to the floor, Hinata's face turned even redder than what was possible, and Ino's eyes grew as round as Lee's. Tenten threw the clothes in her arms to the floor carelessly before rushing to Ino to grab the black thing and hide it behind her back. The action was useless though, for the girls had already seen what kind of cloth it was.

Tenten closed her eyes and hung her head in defeat. She wanted to curl up and die.

"So," Sakura was the first to recover from the utter shock, "whose boxers it is?"

"Um…" Tenten gulped. "My brother?"

"We all know very well that you live alone. Stop lying."

"B-but…" Tenten hopelessly tried to say something, looking like a weak academy student bullied by her friends. She was older than these three girls, dammit!

Ino shook her head in disbelief. "Seriously, are you still thinking that we are very oblivious?" She said in an accusing tone. "We're not stupid! We know you've been hiding something all this time. Tell us Tenten-san, you've been dating him all this time, haven't you?"

Still too stubborn to swallow her pride and admit, Tenten narrowed her eyes back. "Who?"

Ino rolled her eyes and Sakura sighed, while Hinata fidgeted with her fingers nervously. It was until the blonde suddenly smirked, a mischievous and dangerous one playing on her rosy lips. "Remember our plan to hang out with the guys tomorrow? I'm going to tell—"

"Hell no!" Tenten cut her off in panic. "Don't you dare to—"

"If so, then admit it!" Sakura added. "What's the hard part about letting us know?"

"I…"

Unexpectedly and surprisingly, Hinata stepped between them and stared at Tenten. "I think they are right, Tenten-san. We've been friends for years. We have the right to know if you are in a relationship with Neji-nii." Tenten swallowed when she saw those familiar Hyuuga eyes watching her seriously. This fact also dawned on her—of all girls, it turned out Hinata that finally mentioned Neji's name first. "I know you two prefer privacy and don't like displaying affection in public. But think about this; if we all know then we could help you whenever you have a problem with him. Neji-nii-san will never say anything no matter how many times I ask him, so I thought you would be the first to confess."

Had she been not so mortified right now, Tenten would have grabbed the nearest calendar to mark the date as the first time ever Hyuuga Hinata giving a rather long speech without stammering and blushing at all.

"So?" Ino asked smugly, satisfied with Hinata's help to force the Weapon Mistress to admit.

"Yes." Tenten muttered.

"Care to explain further?"

Damn, Tenten cursed inwardly. She held her head high, staring bravely at the hopeful girls in front of her. "Yes. I'm in a relationship with Neji."

Hinata released a deep breath and smiled brightly. Ino and Sakura squealed, just like those fangirls when a pairing they shipped so much in a movie or book doing something together—like smiling at each other, or the girl feeding the boy a glass of water, or the boy saving the girl out of some kind of water prison.

"Finally!" Sakura sighed happily, "We've been secretly _shipping_ you two for years, Tenten-san! We even thought about the combination of your names—it's _NejiTen_!"

Tenten rolled her eyes, yet couldn't help blushing at the name her friend offered. NejiTen sounded good, she thought. "That is rather absurd, guys."

"No. You look so perfect together that I want to cry everytime I see him smile at you!"

"Ino-pig, that sounds like you are jealous, not shipping them."

"I meant crying from happiness at their cuteness and all! We could even make a fandom for you. I bet even Naruto, Shikamaru, Chouji and other guys would gladly join us."

"T-that's right," Hinata said, turning back into her usual shy girl mode. "I-I'm glad because Neji nii-san is happy for having you in his life, Tenten-san."

"Speaking of Neji," Ino furrowed her eyebrows. "How could that thing end up in your apartment, Tenten-san? You even washed it."

Sakura chuckled. "He has stayed overnight a few times, I'm sure."

Glaring at the younger girls, Tenten shot them an unspoken threat. "That's what we call privacy."

"Not really. I'm demanding for you to tell us your story about him concerning that _particular_ topic."

"Ino-pig, forget it! We're lucky enough to hear her confession."

"Oh, come on Forehead! Don't you want to hear… ah, some _limey_ story about our favorite couple?"

"What?" Tenten blushed furiously. "No way in hell!"

"Don't bother about her, Tenten-san. She—"

"Or lemon, perhaps?"

"Wait, Ino-pig, that's… Hinata, Hinata! What's wrong?"

"She fainted again." Tenten rushed to Hinata's side before shooting a glare at Ino. "One, she is very innocent and two, Neji is her own cousin—if not brother. Don't talk about that in her presence!"

"Poor girl," Sakura sighed. "Considering that she has just tripped over her cousin's boxers…"

Ino clicked her tongue. "Regardless of that, Tenten-san, she actually is one of NejiTen hard shippers."

"…"

* * *

"That explains everything."

The bun haired girl raised an eyebrow at her lover. The next day, while resting under a tree after hours of sparring, she had just told him about yesterday's accident and how the girls had finally found out. Neji didn't seem to mind though—apart from the fact that he was annoyed at his own boxers—because their guy friends had also known it since that fateful afternoon in the hot springs. They were just lucky that the guys had kept their mouths shut, not spreading it to the girls until they found out by themselves.

"What?"

"Hinata-sama," Neji said flatly, "she saw me at the compound this morning. I didn't know why she was blushing hard, trembling a bit and avoiding my eyes. When I greeted her, she squeaked in fear and ran away as if I was some kind of ghost."

"Too bad," Tenten sighed. "According to Ino she is a NejiTen hard shipper, however."

He looked at her in confusion. "What is that?"

"It's Neji and Tenten. They've been actually shipping us for years, Neji."

"…"

"Isn't that great? We have their supports!"

Neji shrugged, pulling her close to kiss her forehead. "They shipping us means nothing if I don't actually love you."

Laughing, Tenten put her arms around his neck. "Then I'm lucky because you _actually_ love me."

She inwardly said again as she saw him smirk; _NejiTen sounds good._

* * *

**Fun fact:** On December two years ago, chapter 614 was out. I'm celebrating the unforgettable moment this year by writing something hopefully a bit hilarious. (Not before posting this angsty oneshot titled _White Tsubaki, _though).

Also, am I the only one that isn't looking forward to The Last? Although I'm in love with Tenten's gorgeous design, I'm pretty sure her appearance is going to be five seconds—or ten if we're lucky enough—and no hints about her _friendship_ with Neji. K, whatever bye.


	17. This is Home

Hyuuga Neji opened his pale eyes, blinking a few times when he realized it wasn't his plain, boring room he usually woke up in. A small smile tugged at his lips as he remembered; he'd just come back after finishing a long mission last night and had chosen to head to Tenten's apartment instead of going back to Hyuuga compound.

He had quietly slipped in at midnight without having to knock at the front door and wake her up. She had given him a spare key when they'd been almost fourteen, the day following the Chuunin exam years ago.

"_Neji?"_

_Neji stared at her form, dressed in a baggy T-shirt and shorts as her pajamas, her hair in a messy bun at the base of her neck. She watched him through sleepy brown eyes and disheveled bangs. "Neji, what are you doing here?"_

_He clenched his fists, and he knew she noticed it. Hyuuga Neji was never one to admit his defeat, never one to admit he had no power about something, so his words came out full of implications, only telling the partial truth. "I… don't want to sleep there tonight."_

_The brunette kunoichi didn't react at all. No widening eyes or dropping mouth or something akin to surprise, curiosity or anything. She merely nodded as if she understood everything, opened her door wider and let him in. He stepped inside with a slight hesitation although there was no reason to feel it__—__he had been there a few times before, since they'd been put on the same team over a year ago. Whenever there was an issue at his own home._

_Whenever no one and nowhere seemed to accept his presence._

"_Grab anything you want in the fridge," Tenten said while locking the door again. "There's also some soup in the pot on the stove, heat it before you eat. I want to make you tea, but honestly I'm too sleepy right now so you need to prepare it yourself."_

_Hearing the word soup made his stomach rumble, and he could only hope she didn't hear that. He hadn't even eaten anything since the morning._

_Tenten turned around now, hiding a yawn behind her hand before smiling sheepishly at him. "Sorry, effect of medicines."_

_For the first time, he noticed some bruises on her cheeks, reminding him of her fight with a kunoichi from the Sand yesterday. She had been beaten badly__—__it had been a bad fate only that weapons could never win against wind. As uncaring as he was, Neji always felt angry whenever one of his teammates got hurt, the trait he was aware of and he denied at the same time. Still, never one to express his emotions, he could only watch Lee catching their teammate's unconscious form before rebuking the opponent for her rudeness._

_She must've just been released from hospital that day. He felt bad for not visiting her at all._

_Hyuuga Neji rarely felt guilty, until now he didn't even regret his attempt at killing his own cousin even if the consequence was receiving so much pain in his head later. The sudden guilt forced him to speak, "Are you alright?"_

_Tenten blinked once. "Yes," she answered. "How about you?"_

_No, he wasn't alright, he wasn't okay at all. His own family had just activated the curse seal on his forehead that afternoon, the remaining ache still lingered and he could still feel the veins around his temples throbbing occasionally. He wasn't alright, at all. "Yes."_

"_I have herbal medicine for headache in the cabinet. __The bottle is green. Find it and drink some after you eat. I'll arrange pillow and blankets on the couch for you."_

_He knew she knew what had happened. Gai-sensei must've told her about his battle with his cousin and how he had almost killed her successfully. He knew she also knew what was bound to happen if he sent the precious heiress of his clan to hospital, but she spoke nothing about it. She didn't blame him in his face like everyone else had done__—__although he knew she didn't support him for his action, she didn't lecture him about not to hold a grudge against his family, she didn't push him with questions, yet she provided what he needed even without him having to ask._

_Hyuuga Neji didn't feel grateful often, but this time he was grateful for her presence._

"_You know Neji, I'm thinking about how I should give you a spare key to this apartment."_

_He thought she wasn't serious about that one, but before she left him to go to her bedroom she pushed a key into his hand, saying he trusted him to keep it and that he could go in whenever he didn't want to be at his home. When he asked if she didn't need privacy, she only laughed. "I've had enough privacy all my life, Neji. You know, being an orphan and living alone and all."_

Smiling at the memory, Neji used his sharp eyes to see outside the window through half-opened curtains. It was winter; sun peeked shyly through the slightly dark clouds. It was cold outside, but somehow every room in Tenten's apartment was warm and welcoming even when the heater was off. It was so different from Hyuuga compound, he never admitted it to anyone but the large house always felt _cold_ whenever it was; not only December or January but also July.

He was sure the person living in a house had something to do with the temperature in it. Tenten had proved it; she was warm, bright, and positive like sunshine even when it was nearly the end of December.

Speaking of winter, Neji remembered the first time they had kissed when they'd been eighteen.

"_So, Neji," Tenten put her teacup on the coffee table next to the couch. "What did they do to you today?"_

_He glanced at her briefly. "They did nothing."_

_Even when he didn't look at her, he knew she was eyeing him warily. "Are you sure?"_

_Neji finally turned his head to look at her. "You don't think I only come here whenever I have a problem with my family, do you?"_

_The Weapon Mistress grinned sheepishly. "I did, when we were only thirteen. But not anymore since the day I gave you the key, though." She shrugged. "Still, I know you have something burdening you. What is it?"_

_When had she become a mind reader? Yet, Neji knew he couldn't hide anything. They had been best friends for years, after all._

"_Fourteen years ago, on this day…" he started, a bit hesitant at first. "I received this curse seal."_

_Tenten watched him silently. He avoided her gaze by staring at the wall. "Forget it."_

_He heard her taking a deep breath. "We all have a day in our lives we want to forget, Neji," she said. "Even so, we should look back and realize that we could make it this far, until now. That means we are strong enough."_

_Something forced him to look at her again. She was smiling at him. "I know you are strong."_

_Somehow, watching Tenten smiling for him with those brown eyes staring into his had his mind blank. He didn't know which part of his brain that told him to do what he did next; only to realize it was his heart taking the initiation, not his head._

_Neji leaned forward, noticing how she was looking at him in anticipation, their hearts racing, minds burning, breaths stopping and noses touching__—_

_He pressed his lips to hers__—__not really pressing actually, just making sure their lips _touched_._

_He didn't force her to do anything, only relishing the feel of her soft lips against his for not more than three seconds. He pulled away, instantly liking what he saw. Tenten was blushing, a faint pink spread on her cheeks._

_It was their first kiss, or to anyone else, it was called a brief peck. To anyone else, nothing seemed special about it. They kissed for only three damn seconds, without even moving their lips, without full moon or bright sun as the witness__—__they kissed in her living room in her small apartment, where there were her new polished weapons scattered __everywhere on the floor, when they both were in their Jounin vests. Without even saying "I love you"; not at all. Their kiss was so simple that he was even sure the one like that wasn't worth to be displayed in a romantic movie or something like that. Yet, Neji felt enough, he was content and the look in Tenten's eyes told him she felt the same._

_He cleared his throat and looked away. "We probably should__—__"_

_The bun haired kunoichi grabbed his face suddenly, forcing him to look at her. He thought she was about to kiss his lips, but instead she reached behind his neck, pushing the thick strands of his dark hair out of the way._

_His heart pounded erratically; her fingers sent some tingles down his spine when brushing against the skin there. She untied the forehead protector he always wore whenever people were around. It slowly fell to his lap, and she leaned forward to kiss his curse seal, the mark he was always ashamed of, he always hated; the mark that always reminded him of who he was and what his duty in this life was and how he actually was a caged bird, one that would never fly__—_

_Tenten stared at him seriously. "You don't have to hide anything from me." She was so close; he was drowning in the depth of her chocolate orbs as she was speaking. "Be yourself around me. I'll never judge you."_

_Neji closed his eyes. This was the first time someone ever touched his curse seal__—__after his father long ago. This was the first time someone _recognized _him and accepted him for who he was. This was Tenten, the only woman he had ever fallen for._

_Somehow, her kiss on his forehead was better than the one he'd placed on her lips._

_She was smiling when he opened his eyes again. With a fluid movement she got up and straightened her clothes. "Come on, aren't we supposed to train now?"_

_He found himself smiling. He only did it for her. "Yes."_

_And then, as if there was nothing new going on between them, they went to their training ground and sparred for hours before deciding to stop. There was no love declaration, no tender looks for each other and no displays of attention. They acted like true shinobi; two teammates just as how they'd been all this time._

_Still, the next morning was different. Neji woke up to find Tenten holding him, sleeping soundly and breathing softly, so beautiful that he wanted to stay like that forever. At least, they looked like a normal couple when curling next to each other like this._

_Since that, he never had to sleep on __her couch again__—__those times when Tenten was on her period and threw all her frustrations at him was another matter._

Shaking his head at the memory, Neji then rolled over to find no one lying beside him.

He usually woke up before she did. Having learned how to sleep and alarmed at the same time since years ago added with the fact that every Hyuuga was a morning person, the only times he woke up after she did were only after he'd gone to bed late the night before, or had just come back from a really tiring mission.

Deciding that he had enough with his musings, he got out of the bed and went to her dresser to grab fresh clothes—he also had a place to keep his belongings there—before heading to the bathroom.

Three minutes later Neji stood at the kitchen door, watching Tenten from behind. She was preparing tea, the first drink they both would search for after waking up.

She was in his long sleeved shirt and a pair of warm pajama pants. He always liked it when she wore his old shirt, and she seemed to know it so well.

"Good morning."

"_Tenten?" Neji called after locking the door. He had just come back from a Jounin meeting that night, intending to ask Tenten out for a dinner. She was probably in the living room right now. "Te__—__"_

_A pair of arms encircled his waist and a warm body pressed to his back, just before she whispered warmly into his ear. "Hey, Neji."_

_Something in her voice made him shiver all of a sudden, and he turned around to see her. His eyes widened the moment he took what she was wearing; _his_ old white shirt that was too big for her and which the neckline was too low. It was when he knew he couldn't look away, because the shirt reached her mid-thigh and she must've thought it was enough__—_

"_Neji?"_

_He forced himself to stare at her face, and he noticed that her braid was draped __over her shoulder. He always liked it when her brown hair was braided, even more than when it was loose from its usual buns. Something about the braid made her look more beautiful somehow. "Hey, Tenten."_

_She grinned at him, fingers teasingly playing with the zip of his Jounin vest.__"What's wrong?"_

_Neji had to remind himself to swallow before replying. "Why are you wearing my shirt?"_

_Suddenly she grabbed the collar of his green vest and pulled his face forward__—__she was taller than most girls__—__almost causing his heart to stop from shock. He stared at her with wide eyes. "Why?" She asked back, brown eyes gleaming, dangerously and playfully at the same time. "Why? Because that damn night, I wore that silk nightgown Ino gave me on my birthday and that perfume Sakura forced me to buy when we went shopping together," she whispered into his ear again, "and yet, you didn't even notice me."_

_Hyuuga Neji had never been afraid of a woman. Yet, he couldn't move now and had to struggle to breathe properly. "It seems that your old shirt and the smell of weapons work better than some thin dress and expensive perfume. Huh, Captain Hyuuga?"_

_Damn._

_A smug smirk played on her pink lips and she practically dragged him to the bedroom. He knew it. Sometimes she could make Hyuuga Neji powerless and somehow, he didn't mind._

Tenten turned around, beaming at him and he wondered why that smile hadn't changed such a chilly winter into a warm summer yet. "Good morning, Neji!"

He took a few steps to approach the small dining table, only for two people. She always said the chair he was sitting in now was for him only, and it pleased him somehow. "You're not asking why I am here?"

Rolling her eyes, Tenten poured the tea into two cups. "I was a little shocked to find you were sleeping beside me." She stared at him and pouted playfully. "So you didn't kiss me last night."

He blinked. "What?"

"You usually kiss my cheek whenever you come when I'm sleeping and I usually wake up from that."

Neji shrugged. "I kissed your temple and you were sleeping too deeply that you didn't wake up."

Tenten giggled and waved her hand as to dismiss it."Forget it. When did I become a hopeless romantic type?" She paused to sip her tea slowly. "I hope you finished your mission well."

"I did. Tsunade-sama was pleased."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "She was still awake when you reported it at midnight?"

"Yes. I reported the mission at that twenty four hour restaurant, where she was busy gambling with a few men and Shizune-san who desperately tried to force her to go home."

Tenten laughed, the sound as soothing as a chime. "So, what's plan for today? Do you think training would be great to warm up a bit?"

"How about staying home all day?"

She almost choked on her drink. "Excuse me?"

Taking a few sips of his tea, Neji rolled his eyes. He didn't blame her though, it was unlike him to stay home all day without doing anything productive and beneficial for his career as a shinobi. "It's been too long since the last time I spent all day relaxing with you."

Tenten smiled and nodded in agreement. "I've planned to cook for lunch, so we don't have to go out buying something. I have chicken and vegetables." She gestured to the fridge. "By the way, are you that vulnerable to the cold that you don't want to go out?"

Neji gave a shrug. "No. Your home is comfortable."

"I know," she grinned. "You've said that for hundredth times already."

A pause while he was mulling over his next words. "Would you mind to leave this comfortable place someday?"

She blinked. "Why?"

This was the time, Neji decided. This was the right time and place; in the kitchen of her apartment, when the temperature in every room felt warm although it was December, when they were sitting by the small dining table reserved just for the two of them, and the sweet smell of tea lingered in the air.

He reached into his pocket carefully, pulling out a silver ring with a small and simple diamond, glinting even if there was barely winter sunlight coming from the window. It was his mother's, the one Hyuuga Hizashi had given to her and had told Neji to keep until he found the right woman to marry. Her eyes widened and she seemed to be at a loss for words when he took her right hand, placing the ring on one of her fingertips.

Hyuuga Neji rarely felt afraid, unsure and nervous about something, and thankfully fear didn't touch him right now, even if he was asking a woman to marry him. The thought dawned on him then, he trusted her with his life and he could see what was on her mind just like she could read his as well, that he was sure she was ready as well and _would_ accept.

She had never, and would never let him down.

"Marry me."

Unlike all those hopeless romantic couples, there were no kneeling on the floor and sweet nothings whispers like a gentleman from him, there were no happy tears like a princess from her; but her smile, the light in her brown eyes, and her answer were enough. "Yes, Neji."

And he slipped the ring all the way on her slender finger.

Neji couldn't hold back a smile. His mother's ring fitted Tenten's ring finger perfectly.

She grasped his hand when he was about to let go, intertwining their fingers together. "Of all times," she chuckled, "why does it have to be now and here?"

Neji squeezed his fiancée's hand. "I've waited long enough. And…" he paused while she was staring at him. "I love your home."

The Weapon Mistress grinned, eyes gleaming in contrast to the pale winter light. "Well, we're going to leave this place soon. No Hyuuga, moreover a genius one like you, is allowed to live outside the compound."

A smile curved on his lips, he was aware of that. "Doesn't matter. With you, our suite in Hyuuga compound would feel like this apartment."

She laughed and he marveled once more at how sweet it sounded. "I don't think I should sell this place after I move into your compound. We should go here whenever we need privacy," she suddenly stood up and leaned closer to him, ignoring the half-empty teacups below her upper body. The neckline of his too-big shirt dangled right before his eyes, making his mouth dry. That was before he realized she was smiling at him in a sweet way that took his breath away. "Especially at times like this. Didn't I say something about warming up?"

Staying home all day with Tenten had never been more exciting before she had his mother's ring on her finger, Neji thought.

"Yes." He said breathlessly, lips an inch away from hers, impatiently waiting for her to press them together. "Yes, you did."

* * *

**(A/N):** This isn't related to the story above, sorry:

First, the last movie which Neji and Tenten cannot be seen, then this statement I read everywhere: "It's been said in the latest interview that Neji had to die so Hinata could become Naruto's heroine and they become closer, thus making him as Cupid."

Yes, Neji cared about them both, but did he ever talk about how they should have been in a romantic relationship or such? To think that Neji's death was necessary to make a character as a heroine and to make a pairing become canon makes my jaw drop.

Mm-hm. What's clear is that other than a few still-active NejiTen fanfic writers and readers, no one gives a shit about this dead pairing nowadays. My poor darlings :(


	18. New Year Eve

There's nothing new about this New Year Eve.

Tenten loves every kind of festival. She loves walking through Konoha streets filled with people and laughter and children's joyous voices. Everyone spends the happy night with their family or loved ones, together visiting the shrine to pray for the new start while wearing their best clothes. The smell of delicious foods comes from the stalls, warm drinks served to fight against the chilly late December air.

In the middle of the crowd she's standing alone, wishing he was here with her.

Yes, she still loves New Year Eve festival; but not as much as she did when she was young, somewhere between her Genin and Chuunin years, when she celebrated New Year Eve each year with a boisterous man and his miniature walking in front of her and a grumpy boy dragging himself reluctantly behind her through the village streets.

She misses those old good days. One thing she will never understand: what's the point of having good days if she'll have to mourn over them later?

She is supposed to enjoy New Year Eve because New Year means a fresh start, a new one, the moment she leaves every mistake behind and gets prepared for what the next year has in store for her. However, New Year means nothing after the Fourth Shinobi World War, thirty seven years ago.

Because he left her in that war, and no festival would ever feel the same again without him. Without a complete Team Gai.

Tenten shakes her head, trying to tell herself again that the first few bitter years without him has gone. The hardest part is behind her already. He died, then Hokage had no choice but to disband Team Gai because none of them wanted a replacement—no one could fulfill his place and role in the team as well as the hole in their hearts—while a proper team needed four members to be considered complete. The war died, he died, Team Gai died; but memories didn't. It all happened. Forcing herself to thank God that at least she has memories to cling to, she looks around her slowly.

She watches her comrades, intending for a moment to join them, but eventually decides against it. She can see Lee, her number one best friend even though Team Gai has broken up long ago; then Naruto, Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino, Kiba… All of them have aged now; their teachers—including her beloved Gai-sensei—have passed away one by one. They all have reached past fifty now. They're still strong as ever, mature and wise and also understand what life is, but the shinobi world is not about them anymore. It's about their children, the new generation.

She stupidly feels bad for not contributing any child to Konoha's new generation. But how was she supposed to bear a child if the only person she wanted to have a child with was no longer in this world?

In the middle of her musings, Tenten realizes it's only a few minutes before the next year arrives. It's about time people start to gather, preparing to count together until the fireworks burst, then they will hug each other and exchange wishes. She loves seeing the beautiful fireworks filling the sky but she has somewhere she'll rather be right now.

Quietly, Tenten makes her way to get out of the crowd, breathing a sigh of relief when finally the noises fade away. She walks down an empty street, cold air hitting her skin but she loves it.

She finally arrives at Konoha cemetery.

Not everyone has the nerve to visit Konoha cemetery at midnight. A few shinobi—Naruto for example—who don't fear the cruelest enemies are ironically afraid of ghosts, and Tenten finds it amusing. She's not afraid. She quietly walks among the graves and grasses only with the help of sheer moonlight, her feet know where to stop automatically, without her having to think.

There is no difference between each gravestone there, other than the name forever engraved on it. They have same color and size and shape. People, who don't visit often, sometimes find it hard to remember which one their friend is buried under—Konoha cemetery is quite large _because death for shinobi isn't a shocking thing._ They have to read the name on a few stones first until finding the one they're looking for, but Tenten doesn't have to do that.

He has something like magnet that tells her where he is and then draws her there.

Or maybe there's also this difference; whether or not the grave has flowers on it. For almost every single day there will always be flowers on his grave. It touches her heart that a lot of people care about him even after he died.

The Weapon Mistress kneels before his grave, a smile slowly making its way to her lips. She reaches out to touch the stone—considering it's been there for thirty seven years, the stone has small cracks here and there _just like her heart since he left_—it's hard and firm _just like his resolve to get anything he wanted_—it's cold and her smile falters.

For each winter since he left, in her former bitter years, there were times when she wanted to dig the ground right beside him and bury herself and meet him and hug him just so he wouldn't feel cold anymore. There were times when she wanted to change the name on the stone with her own in hope they'd switch places, him coming back to life and her lying alone underground forever—because the village and his clan needed him and he was too strong and too precious to only rest there while she, the nameless and sometimes forgotten kunoichi had nothing to offer like he once had done.

There were times when she felt not only life but death was cruel and unfair, because death meant he was lying under the cold soil and he couldn't move and his freedom once again was restricted even if people said he was _free_ now. She realized she should've believed that he was up there flying freely with his father, watching the world beneath him, and the once strong, firm body underneath the stone was now rotten, only his bones remaining but she couldn't help feeling he was _right there_ _underneath the stone._

That was back then, though, Tenten says to herself as she smiles again. She doesn't feel that way again. No tears again, no blaming fate again.

Unconsciously, her fingers skim over the name engraved on the cold hard stone. _Hyuuga Neji. July 03 – October 09. Fourth Shinobi World War._

Tenten has spent many New Year eves without him, but this one feels different and she wants to cry out and curses him why he's not with her now, attending the festival and watching the fireworks with her.

Just as she wants to pull at her own hair in frustration, she feels another's presence right behind her.

She takes a deep breath and asks calmly. "Where the hell have you been?"

"My father needed my help with something." Even if she's not looking, she knows he is smirking arrogantly. One of her guilty pleasures is seeing him smirk that way. "Missed me that much?"

Tenten lets out a sigh and finally stands up, deciding to not question him further only because she holds a high respect for Hyuuga Hizashi. "Yes. Always."

A pair of arms suddenly encircles her waist, pulling her backward slightly so her back meets what feels like a hard, firm chest. She closes her eyes and puts her hands over his as she feels his chin rest on her shoulder. "Tell me why."

She barely thinks before answering, the words come out naturally. "I can't seem to get enough of you," she admits. "I don't know why. It feels like despite the fact that we are together now, I'm still feeling those butterflies in my stomach as if I'm still that thirteen-year-old girl who fell in love with his stoic teammate."

She feels something vibrate in his chest, his own way of laughing. "Really?"

Tenten finally turns around in the circle of his arms, meeting a pair of lavender eyes she loves so much and throws her arms around his neck. "I'm serious, Neji," she says, smiling at him when she realizes he is looking at her tenderly. She finds it amusing that they both still look as seventeen-year-old teenagers while their comrades have already grown wrinkles and a lot of strands of white hair. "It's strange to feel this way… It's been twenty years. We've been together for that long. I'm going to be with you for eternity," she lets out a chuckle, "yet I'm never tired of you." _Never tired of your touch, kiss, and smile._

Neji tightens his arms around her waist. "You're telling exactly what I'm feeling."

Tenten closes her eyes in relief for a moment; he's not tired of her too. She's not the only one falling deeply, not the only one being vulnerable. "Neji," she threads her fingers through his silky strands of hair, "do you think… do you think this feeling will stop someday?"

As if knowing her worry, Neji cradles her face in both of his warm hands, staring into her eyes. One of the reasons why she's never tired of him; the way he looks at her always leaves her breathless. "From what I know," he says, "every feeling in afterlife is eternal." His lips lift up, forming that annoying but gorgeous smirk she has always loved and hated at the same time. "That means this feeling will always be here with us."

Satisfied with his answer, she nods. "Even if we never had a chance to live together in the real world?"

"Of course." He tucks a few strands of her brown hair behind her ear. "Being with each other in the real world doesn't always mean they would be together in the afterlife. It depends on whether each of their love reaches their very soul."

"My goodness," Tenten giggles, "you sound like Cupid now. Hyuuga Neji, the God of Love! Oh, I can picture you being _shirtless_ with a pair of wings and holding a bow and arrow and… wait, since when did Cupid have that long and straight Hyuuga hair?"

He glares at her with irritation, and she notices that he looks beyond mortified by his new title. "I am not Cupid."

"I'm not kidding, Neji. You'd look good in Cupid costume. All you have to do is wear some kind of cloth around your waist only."

"Are you requesting me to… seduce you that way?"

"Perhaps?"

"…"

"Don't frown like that, you'll look as old as our friends!"

"… Only if you stop thinking of me as some kind of God of Love."

"You died right before a love story started," she insists. Judging from his somehow-cute scowl and death glare, if she was Lee or someone else he would have Jyukeened her by now. "At least some people think so."

"That's not why I chose to die, Tenten."

Knowing that Neji hates being teased and that she's ruining their romantic moment, Tenten offers him an apologetic smile. "I know, Neji. Your… decision to die means more than just that." She stares at him lovingly. "You died as a brave hero, not Cupid. For your freedom and for the life of your friends. That's why I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," he whispers, like he's always said whenever she says she trusts him with her life. Under the pale moonlight he looks so handsome when staring at her like this, his magnificent eyes and beautiful hair and flawless skin—she can always see him even in the darkness—and his smooth lips.

Tenten stands on her tiptoes, leaning forward to kiss him and their lips meet right when they hear the sound of fireworks and people's cheers from the festival, the sign that the New Year has just come. New Year means nothing anymore, but she still loves it nevertheless because he's always with her even if they're celebrating it this time in the absurd place, in the middle of the dark Konoha cemetery.

He pulls away first only to stroke her cheeks and as she's just said before, her heart flutters as if she's still thirteen and he's just her first crush. "Happy New Year, Tenten."

"Happy New Year, Neji," she says back, grinning at him. "Where are we going now?"

He shrugs. "We have all the time in this world. What do you want to do?"

Tenten contemplates this. For a moment she wants to suggest that they find a secluded place since the idea of Neji seducing her sounds appealing—but smacks herself inwardly because they're going to have a lot of time for that. "Why don't we go to the festival and watch our friends?" she offers. "It's not everyday that there's a festival in Konoha."

"Sounds good." He murmurs and leans down to plant a kiss on the top of her head, taking her hand in his.

They leave his grave and walk silently, unseen, among the quiet gravestones and the dead bodies underground. When passing a certain stone not too far from _his,_ they share a similar look and smile at each other; Tenten feels Neji's fingers tightening around hers.

She looks down at that stone as they're walking by it, her eyes scanning the letters.

_Tenten. March 09 – June 15. Fifth Shinobi World War._

* * *

**(A/N):** Angst at first, then cheesy, then dry humor about the whole Cupid Neji thing, LOL. Consider this one as sequel to _Unknown Love Story._

Due to this busy week (damn, I wish I had more time to have fun on FF!), that was quite rushed. I probably won't have time to update until New Year, better posting what I could now. So, Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy New Year and happy holiday and whatever it is! Let's keep NejiTen alive for this new year and the next year and so on, shall we?


	19. Are You Alright?

Neji woke to the feel of warm breath fanned over his collarbone. With ninja's alertness, he quickly knew where he was.

He was in Tenten's room; the Weapon Mistress was now sleeping so close next to him, her head tucked perfectly under his chin, chocolate hair unbound and splayed across the pillow. He had an arm around her waist and she curled her fingers around the front of his shirt, not tight considering her sleeping state. He noticed with amusement that she had kicked their blankets away in her sleep, now that the room had started to become several degrees warmer from the sunshine coming from the curtained window.

It had been too long since he had woken up to such a warm feeling.

Still half-believing that this was really happening, he gently ran his finger across the fresh scars in her upper arm, the memory of yesterday.

"Neji?" she mumbled sleepily, her voice so pure and enchanting and he was somehow glad that his name was what she uttered first today.

"You're awake."

"Mm," Tenten pulled away a bit, allowing Neji to see that her eyes were still closed. "It's like I've been sleeping for days. What time is it?"

"A little too late to begin morning sparring, I guess."

She chuckled, eyes slowly fluttering open and he stared into the brown orbs, heart pounding—damn it, Hyuuga Neji feared nothing but this woman had this ability to make him uneasy at times—as he tried to drown himself in them, trying to probe into her soul and understand what was on her mind and heart. To be a part of her.

He had barely slept last night, waking up three times in an hour or so to check on her, to check if she'd had any unpleasant dream, and to his relief she had always been slumbering deeply everytime he'd checked, her features so relaxed; breath soft and no lines etched on her face, signing a state of peace.

"Are you alright?"

And he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer, even if he didn't want her to brush aside the question.

* * *

"Ouch!"

His eyes widened as Tenten jumped down from the tree branch, crouching and gripping her left arm with a grimace. He landed in front of her, frowning when he saw her pulling out two shuriken from her flesh, blood trickling down along her upper arm.

"You didn't see that coming?"

She lifted her head and grinned, obviously trying to hide her pain. "I was careless, I guess."

Neji glared at her—this was officially the first time she was hurt by _his_ weapons during their sparring time—and he knew something was wrong then. He grabbed her fine arm and half-dragged her to the tree where they kept their packs under.

"Wow," Tenten muttered after sitting herself down. "It's been too long since I got shuriken hit me."

Wasn't amused by her attempt to humor him—or probably to humor herself—he reached into her pack and pulled out a roll of bandages. "None of my weapons has ever touched you before. My jutsu, yes, but never my weapons. What were you doing?"

"Well, you could be honored then." The Weapon Mistress merely grinned. "I'm only lucky they weren't poisoned."

He chose not to respond and worked quickly but gently, cleaning her wounds while at the same time making sure he didn't inflict her more pain. A brief thought passed his brain; he couldn't help but always be gentle when it came to her. There was something about her that always forced him to be careful at every single thing he did to her.

Which made him mad at himself that he had just hurt her.

Focusing at finishing the bandages, he decided to interrogate her more about how she hadn't been paying attention, thus making him feel guilty because he had hurt her and he had never _wanted_ to hurt her.

"Why didn't you see it coming?"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Neji, everyone makes a mistake once in a while," she said. "It was my fault, I know. You do never want to hurt me."

He let out a grunt. All this time, he had never held himself back during their training. He always made it to the full because he trusted her strength and abilities—but he also always made sure to not _hurt _her. "Be careful next time."

She grinned up at him. "Yes."

They were silent for a few seconds, until suddenly Tenten called him. "Um, Neji, my arm?"

He dropped his hand in an instant, wondering why he hadn't even realized that he had been holding her forearm even after he had done treating her wound. He looked away and thankfully Tenten acted as if nothing had happened.

Poor him for being the only one to think _something _had actually happened.

"Tsunade-sama won't be pleased seeing this," the bun haired girl said as she rolled her left sleeve down despite the fact that it had been torn by his shuriken and was bloodstained.

Neji blinked. "Tsunade-sama?"

"We're required to meet her today for routine medical checkup, remember?"

He should have paid more attention to things like that. "Oh."

"Don't just 'oh'," Tenten smacked his arm playfully. "She'll be waiting for us after lunchtime."

"Hn."

"Are we going to continue or not?"

"No." He said, his training mood had ruined by their previous accident. "We've been going for hours. Might as well take a break."

Tenten said nothing, lying down on the grass and supporting her head with her right arm, watching the sky between tree branches above.

And he did nothing but stare at her.

Between his inner voice that were saying repeatedly that she was beautiful—he had secretly stopped denying that fact a while ago and Hyuuga Neji was never one to call a woman beautiful easily—somehow, he noticed that something actually bothered her.

"Are you alright?"

Tenten thinned her lips for a second and he swore he'd seen it—but she stretched her arms, sat up straight and smiled at him. "Do you want to have lunch?" she asked. "Then we could go to hospital to meet Tsunade-sama."

Everytime he asked if she was alright, she never gave him the answer.

At first, she had probably thought she could brush off the question easily and pull him into another topic until he finally forgot about his question. But he couldn't be fooled anymore since, when, a few months ago? She never answered, not even a quick "yes", and he realized it and didn't like it.

"Come on." Tenten stood up and put both hands on her hips. "It's been too long since we had lunch together."

As always, he didn't ask her anything anymore.

Minutes later they were sitting across each other in a small restaurant that had always been their favorite place. Their friends had never really liked the restaurant since the location was rather secluded,the exterior was too plain and the foods served weren't too special, but those were actually the reasons why he and Tenten liked it. He and Tenten shared something in common: they preferred everything simple and ordinary, as well as quiet places. Tenten had once joked that it was a good idea that they never came there because she didn't want their friends to see them having lunch or dinner together only to accuse them to be on a date.

He had secretly been disappointed until this time. Did Tenten really not want to have a date with him?

It was disconcerting, the amount of times he secretly thought about her today. As if he knew something would happen soon.

He started to talk to her to distract his mind, but Tenten didn't seem to really pay attention. Quietly, Neji noticed how her brown eyes were actually empty and there were dark circles under them. He had noticed this and the slight change of her since a few months ago, but everytime he asked her if she was alright, she wouldn't answer.

Just how much sleep had she gotten last night?

"Tenten."

Tenten didn't turn her head, eyes still staring absentmindedly at the wooden restaurant's wall, which he knew wasn't actually interesting. Her mind was elsewhere. Neji narrowed his eyes. He didn't talk that often, so why was she ignoring him?

"Tenten!" Louder this time.

She practically jumped in her seat, eyes wide, a hand flying to her chest as if she was that shocked. "What, Neji?"

He crossed his arms in annoyance. "You were ignoring me."

"Oh?" The weapon specialist rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"You've been musing again."

"Sorry," she said again with a grin before sipping her tea. "So, what were we talking about?"

"Are you alright?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line for a brief second but he _did_ notice it. She put down her cup and glanced at his empty one. "Do you want more?" Without waiting for his answer, she grabbed the small teapot and began pouring tea for him. "Green tea here is the best, don't you agree?"

He didn't answer, taking his cup from her, and drained its content in one gulp. "Let's go to Tsunade-sama."

Neji wondered what made them taking so long.

He had been waiting for more than twenty minutes and Tenten hadn't emerged from the examination room yet. Wasn't the checkup supposed to be brief? It usually took ten minutes at the longest.

He had a bad feeling.

The door slid open two minutes later, revealing the girl. She smiled at him and gestured to the room after closing it again. "Your turn."

Neji stood up. "What took you so long?"

"Oh," the brunette glanced at her arm, "Tsunade-sama healed my arm. The wounds weren't that deep, so it's nothing to her."

The Hyuuga prodigy frowned. "Only that?"

Before she could answer, Tsunade's annoyed, familiar voice was heard from inside the room. "Hyuuga Neji, don't waste my time!"

Tenten laughed, pushing him to the door. "Go, I'll wait here then we could resume our training."

Neji had no choice then, he stepped past her and entered the room, closing the door behind him. The blonde Hokage didn't glance at him and Neji had just sat down in the chair across from her when she spoke. "Your teammate needs help."

He didn't move.

He had to wait for a minute until Tsunade continued. "She's… not in a good condition right now. She's struggling with sleep problems and it affects her overall health."

Neji felt his fists clench by their own accord, some uneasy feeling well up in his chest. "I suspected that. But she doesn't want to tell me anything about it."

"I know the reason," Tsunade said suddenly, shocking him. "But I couldn't tell you what. Don't force me to because I would never tell you."

His eyes narrowed. "Then what am I supposed to do? She's hiding something from me and I can't know what it is."

The older woman sighed, hands tucked under her chin. She watched Neji carefully. "That is, actually what I want from you, Neji," she said. "I believe that you are one of her few closest friends. You have the greatest chance to make her feel better—I know you two, I know that she trusts you the most."

Neji said nothing.

"Even if you don't want to," she continued. "You have to do this. We cannot let her be this way forever. She got hit by shuriken during your training today and someone reported to me that she had been losing focus on her last mission that had almost killed her. Her lack of sleep and depression could be dangerous if no one takes care of it. She needs someone and she is an orphan. I would rather ask Rock Lee or Maito Gai to do this than you, since you probably don't want to be a comforter type, but—"

Neji stood up, eyes wide in anger and hands clenched tightly. "Do you really think I don't want to do this?"

Tsunade merely raised an eyebrow. "You're speaking to a Hokage, Hyuuga."

The young man controlled his breath. "I'm sorry." He muttered almost inaudibly.

Despite the challenging look the Hokage offered, Neji swore he saw her hiding a smile. What was that for? "Then I trust her to you. I don't ask you to do much, just make her tell you everything that burdens her. Once she has someone to talk about this to and give her advices, she'll be _alright_ again."

Neji looked down, determined to do it as soon as possible. "I understand."

"Besides," the hazel eyed woman said, "it might lead you two to something else."

He was about to ask what she meant when Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, grabbing a file from her desk. "Let's start your checkup, shall we?"

He had to do it, Neji thought, he would do anything to have her tell him everything. Even if he had to force her.

Tenten was dozing when he returned, but quickly sitting straight the moment she saw him. "You're done?"

He nodded once. "I'll walk you home."

She arched an eyebrow. "I thought we were going to go back to train?"

"No." He glanced at the sky from nearby window, noticing how dark clouds were rolling ever so slowly. "It's going to be raining."

"Then what?" Tenten protested. "We don't usually cancel our training just because it's raining."

The Hyuuga prodigy stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Today is an exception," he said simply, making the brown haired girl furrow her eyebrows even more. He ignored her look and started walking. "Are you going to leave or not?"

He felt her standing up immediately, walking slightly behind him. "How was the checkup? You're fine, right?"

"Hn." How could this girl always be concerned about others before herself? It was her who needed help. "You too?"

"Of course," the weapon specialist said cheerfully. "I wonder where Lee is. Tsunade-sama said he's been spending the ridiculous amount of time to train lately." She chuckled. "Why was she surprised, anyway? That silly boy will never stop training even if a Hokage tells him to."

Neji didn't give a response. He guessed, as they began to walk down the street, that she was too used to him that she kept talking even though to other eyes, the cold Hyuuga man probably looked uninterested.

Truth was, he actually liked hearing her voice, even when she was chattering about things he wasn't particularly interested in.

"And Gai-sensei also said… wait, Neji, isn't Hyuuga compound that way?"

He kept walking. "So?"

"Why are you taking this road?"

"I want to."

"But…"

He decided to stop, expecting her to do too. She did. "Neji, what?"

Turning his head, Neji watched her silently over his shoulder. His brain wasn't working as effectively as usual, he assumed, when he found himself asking. "Why are you walking behind me?"

She shrugged. "Because you've been in a bad mood since we left hospital, maybe?"

"Another reason?"

Tenten eyed him flatly before suddenly her wide grin appeared and her eyes brightened. "Protecting your blind spot?"

Receiving this answer, Neji felt something in his chest melt. At first, truthfully he had felt some sort of anger towards her because she was hiding something important from him. That was honestly the reason why he was in a bad mood, if Tenten thought he was.

They were standing in the middle of an empty road, the bun haired girl standing two steps away behind him and they only stared at each other for a long time. There was something in those brown eyes that made him speak first, even if the next words shocked him himself. "Walk beside me." _I want to have you close._

Tenten blinked, but said nothing as she matched his steps.

They walked in silence, this time side by side, Neji wondered along the way what the hell was actually happening inside him. It was when they almost reached her apartment that Tenten commented. "You don't usually walk me home."

"I want to."

Even if he wasn't looking, he knew she rolled her eyes. "Okay, but rain comes soon," she looked up at the sky. Smiling at him, she reached into her pocket to pull out her key. "Want to stay until it stops?"

He had no problem about it since he had been there often enough. Besides, he was determined that he wouldn't go home before getting her tell him what actually had happened and what he could do to help her feel better.

"Do you have a mission tomorrow?" Tenten asked as she fumbled with the key, opening the door and stepping inside.

"No." Neji answered, closing the door behind him and following her to the kitchen. "We'll go on a mission to Suna in two days though, remember?"

"Yes." The brunette said excitedly, putting a kettle on the stove and pulling out two cups from the cabinet. "Team Gai's first mission after… how long? It's been weeks since our last mission. I miss you three already."

"Hn."

They were silent while Tenten was preparing hot chocolate for them. Neji was sitting comfortably in a dining chair near the window, watching as raindrops started to fall outside.

"How are things in your family?"

Neji glanced at her back. "What?"

Tenten shrugged. "I haven't heard about them for a long time."

Didn't know what to say, Neji answered half-heartedly. "They're… fine."

His teammate laughed. "I'm not asking about them," she told him blatantly. "It's more about you."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't have any issues with them right now, do you?"

Even now when he could get along with his family already, Neji had to admit there were still some issues between them sometimes. Not as bad as when he'd been thirteen, but still, he still thought there was a barrier between them despite the facts that they had a lot more respects for him now and that he would do anything to protect his clan.

_Don't blame me about this,_ he thought wryly.

"Neji?"

He shifted in his chair. "No, I don't."

"Good."

Neji frowned. She was always concerned about him and his issues with his family, but she had never told him anything about her own problems. He trusted her to keep his secrets even if he had needed some time to completely trust her, but it was like she didn't trust him. The thought made him upset. He also cared about her, but everytime he wanted to know what was wrong with her, she would always crawl away from him. She trusted him on missions, training and such, but not her life problems. Was it so hard to trust him completely while he had found it easy to believe in her?

However, the anger started to fade away as he suddenly blamed himself. Why had he never forced her to talk? Hyuuga Neji had this power to make people do as he wanted if it was needed; he should've done that to her sooner.

Or perhaps, the blame was really on her. She was always a mystery to him. Despite her cheerful and energetic appearance, Tenten was sometimes hard to read. Neji had always thought it was him who was hard to understand and always hid in a shell, but he'd been wrong all this time. It was her. She was complicated and frustrating and _challenging_ and Neji hated it.

Tenten turned around, two mugs of hot chocolate in her hands as she walked to him. He kept his eyes on her and frowned deeper when he noticed how tired she looked. Now that they were indoor, the dark circles around her eyes and her slightly chapped lips were more apparent. He noticed how she looked a bit thinner than usual and cursed himself why he hadn't realized it sooner. She seemed to not notice that his eyes were on her, until—

Somehow, she bumped into the chair across from him and lost her balance. Neji realized it was too late for him to warn her, because the next second she tumbled to the floor along with the mugs.

The mugs shattered, creating an unpleasant noise between the comforting sounds of rain outside.

Neji crouched beside her in an instant, eyes narrowing when he saw her grimacing; the hot chocolate had splattered onto her fingers. He reacted quickly, helping her up and pulling her to the sink, making sure she didn't step on the pieces of the broken mugs. He turned the faucet on and let the cold water run through her burned fingers, knowing that the chocolate had been hot enough and it hurt.

"Neji…" She whispered quietly, but he refused to look at her.

He said nothing, turning the water off and grabbing a clean towel to dry her hands, carefully as to not hurt her more. He went to the cabinet and pulled out her first-aid kit, thinking for a moment to tell her to sit in the dining chair but decided against it since the pieces of mugs were everywhere. He gripped her arm, leading her out of the kitchen to her living room, quietly commanding her to sit on the couch.

Sitting down next to her, he started to apply some ointment onto her fingers in silence.

Tenten broke it. "Neji."

Neji was frustrated, angry and confused at the same time that he chose not to talk.

"Neji, I'm sorry," she continued hesitantly. "I was careless. I'm sorry."

Damn it. He didn't want her to be sorry, but as always she thought she owed him an apology even when she didn't need to.

"Neji, I—"

"It was more than just careless." He cut her off, his tone higher than he intended it to be. "What kind of kunoichi is careless enough to bump into a chair and fall like a little child? There was something more than that."

"There… there wasn't!" Tenten snapped. He knew she was insulted, but at the moment he didn't care. "It's normal to make a mistake once in a while. Don't exaggerate."

Neji gritted his teeth. "You got hit by my shuriken, your mind was elsewhere when we were at restaurant, you took long for the checkup, and now you bumped into a mere chair. Were they all normal?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. She was angry, he knew.

Finishing his task, Neji looked up and met her glare. "Stop lying, Tenten. Stop pretending and don't be such a liar in front of me!"

She stood up immediately, forcing him to stare up at her.

"Don't call me a liar." She hissed, voice lower than before, brown eyes filled with anger.

With that, she attempted to leave, but in a flash Neji had her pinned to the nearby wall. He gripped both her wrists while she struggled. "What're you doing? Let go of me!"

"No." He said harshly, noticing how she actually didn't try too much to get free. He knew she was strong, and the fact that she didn't use her full strength to fight him was another proof that she was exhausted. "Why, Tenten? Why do you always step away from me?"

"I don't." Tenten said stubbornly. "I don't step away and I don't know what you're talk—"

"Answer me." He demanded, his tone left no argument. "Answer me. Are you alright?"

Her chocolate eyes widened and he anticipated that she would cry, but she didn't. Her lips trembled as she answered. "Why do you always ask me that?"

Neji tightened his grip, not caring that he was probably hurting her. "I asked you million times if you were alright," he said, he could hear the hurt from his own voice. "But you never answered me." He took a deep breath. "Is it that hard to trust me?"

Tenten looked away.

"I trust you with my life even if I never said that before. Then why don't you trust me as well?"

Her voice was almost unheard. "You would hate me."

"I wouldn't—"

"You would hate me, you would be disappointed at me!" She shouted, finally looking at him, tears had quickly streamed down her face. "What I did was wrong, Neji, and no one would ever accept that! I'm a terrible person! I'm a weak ninja that clings to emotions and I'm disgusted with myself!"

Neji froze. Not only because this was the first time had he ever seen her breaking, vulnerable like this, but also because of her words.

"I… I hate myself." She choked. "I don't know, Neji, I…"

"Tell me." Neji finally found his voice, releasing her wrists and put his hands on her shoulders. "Just tell me."

She inhaled deeply to calm herself. "I… killed my brother."

Even if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard, Neji squeezed her shoulders gently to encourage her to continue.

Only to feel all of her hurt as she was sobbing, telling him everything.

Her parents had died when she'd been only seven, leaving her with her brother, five years older than her. He'd taken care of her, providing everything she'd needed even if his earnings hadn't been that much for the two of them. He had been the first person to teach her how to use weapons.

Until one day, the Third Hokage had told her that her brother had been dead on a mission.

She'd continued to live alone as painful as it had been, but seven months ago Tsunade had informed her that her brother had been alive. As a village's traitor.

They'd needed to kill him.

Surprisingly, Tenten had offered herself to go for him along with two ANBU. She'd wanted to see him for the last time, she'd still loved him despite his betrayal, but of course, she couldn't do anything to save him. When they'd met, her brother had willingly told her to kill him.

She'd done that.

Neji's grip on her shoulders tightened.

"I couldn't believe what I had just done. I… I regretted my decision to come, I felt like a fool. I shouldn't have offered myself to kill him. I was a fool." Tenten hugged herself. "On the way back to Konoha, we met the leader of the group my brother had joined to betray the village. Before I and the two ANBU killed him too, he told me something that I never wanted to hear."

He furrowed his eyebrows.

"The man had been interested in my brother's skills on weapons, thinking he would be benefit for them. My brother… he had refused to join them but, but they'd threatened him that they would, they would kill me." Her voice trembled. "He'd finally decided to betray our village for me. He'd wanted me to continue living and become a kunoichi, as he'd told the leader the day he'd left Konoha."

That was why. Tenten's brother hadn't been that bad person anyway; he'd done it all to protect her.

"I feel terrible, Neji. Until this time, I regret everything. I killed my own brother with my own weapon. He was the only one I had, the first person that believed I would be a strong kunoichi… but I killed him, and ever since that time I have nightmare almost every night. I couldn't sleep anymore… even if I could, I would always wake up past midnight and remember the old times when he was still here. Even when I'm eating, I often remember the way I stabbed my brother with my katana and his blood splattered everywhere. I'm disgusted with myself, Neji. I'm a ninja, I should push my emotions aside, I should forget everything because it was my duty but I simply can't. I hate—"

Neji pulled her into his arms, pressing her close to him.

His heart nearly broke. They'd been close teammates for years, yet he hadn't known this fact before. He hadn't even known that she had once had a brother. He felt so bad.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, mixed emotions swirling in his chest. "I should've known it sooner. I'm sorry."

She said nothing anymore.

The Hyuuga man pulled away, forcing her to look at him in the eye. "But you should have told me earlier." His fingers ran over her cheeks. "You're always worried about me, so why can't I be concerned about you as well? You backed away from me everytime I wanted to know you better. I feel bad for not knowing anything about this."

Tenten swallowed. "I'm sorry."

Neji stared at her. He was never one to comfort others, as Tsunade told him before, and he had to admit she was right. He didn't really know what to say; everyone coped with problems differently and Tenten, aside from her status as a strong kunoichi, was actually torturing herself with this. No words could probably make her feel better, not now at least, when she was crying her heart out.

The only thing he knew was that he wanted to be there for her when she cried—he didn't want her to be alone when she needed a shoulder. He wanted her to sleep soundly at night again.

Pressing their foreheads together, Neji murmured. "I'm here." That was the only thing he could say. "I'm here. Trust me. I want to make you feel alright again." _Even if you're so frustrating and I don't know how._

Tenten wrapped her arms around his neck.

Desperate and sure that he couldn't hold back anymore, Neji leaned forward to meet her dry lips with his. She stopped shivering and stared at him with wide eyes when he pulled away. Thankfully, he noticed, the look in her face and rosy blush on her cheeks told him that the kiss was what she'd been waiting for as well.

He was glad.

"Neji…"

Breathing deeply, he put one finger on her lips. "I'm here. Don't hide anything anymore." _Please trust me._

He would think of what words to say to console her later. This time, he only wanted to hold and kiss her, nothing more.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and his arms came up to hold her exhausted form, the sentence _"I love you"_ left unsaid but neither of them bothered; they knew its existence between them.

* * *

"Are you alright?"

She didn't even blink. She merely smiled and trailed her thumb down his jaw, making him frown and he didn't care if concern had turned his icy eyes into some warmer color.

Her voice sounded honest and sincere, soft morning sunlight glinting on the brown orbs. He could feel her usual light radiating from her face as she finally gave him an answer. "Yes, Neji. I'm alright."

She was alright and he was alright too now, _he_ found herself back, and he kissed her deeply the next second as a promise that from this day, he would always make sure that she was perfectly alright. He was sure when she kissed him back, that it was her promise to him also: _From this day, I will always trust you._

* * *

**(A/N):** An update after a long time—been sick for what felt like years. I had so much feels writing this; blame the latest episode where Neji asking Tenten if she was alright. To non-shippers that brief scene would mean nothing at all, but it reminded me of The Water Prison Scene! Let's pray that there would be more and longer their interactions in the next fillers—but NEVER expect too much because this is _NejiTen_ and you simply cannot hope too high, ne?


	20. A Kiss Under Snowflakes

**(A/N):** This is going to be boring. Not in a mood to write but feel the need to update somehow.

* * *

"That's actually ridiculous."

Tenten stopped sipping hot chocolate from a paper cup in her hands only to glare at him. "I didn't force you to join me."

Neji, who was standing right beside her, didn't respond.

The Weapon Mistress sighed—forming a puff of white in front of her mouth—and looked up at the sky. They were in a secluded place near Konoha boundary that evening, shielded from the village's noises by trees and grasses.

She tightened her grip on the paper cup to relish the warmth. It was the first winter after the Fourth Shinobi World War.

"You know, you could have accepted Lee and Gai-sensei's offer to run twenty laps around the village in this weather instead of following me here."

Neji's eyebrow twitched. "I'd rather come here."

"You have a family meeting in an hour, don't you?"

He merely shrugged. "I still have an hour then."

Tenten smiled. Neji was still Neji even after his temporary death.

She wasn't one to dwell on the past, but when someone or she herself mentioned Neji and _death,_ she felt cold all over her body. It wasn't good, really, so she tried to kick away the unpleasant memory for now. Neji was here after all.

But was he even here? A few minutes had passed and he didn't even try to start a conversation. Tenten let out a sigh again.

"Neji, listen, I know you never say anything unless it's necessary," she said, "but please talk more, will you? I thought you would change a bit after the war?"

Instead of scowling, he smirked at her. "Perhaps I should've died twice?"

She knew he was joking but she didn't take it well. Seriously, he didn't have to make his death sound like it was nothing. She wanted to punch him for thinking so—or hug and yank his hair at the same time because dammit, he had scared her to death; he honestly didn't think she'd been fine that night only because she hadn't mourned over his dead body, or did he?

"I was scared," she said softly. "You idiot."

He stared at her but she refused to meet his eyes. At least, however, he understood what she was talking and it pleased her somehow. "I know. There would be many things I regret if I wasn't resurrected."

Not expecting this answer, Tenten closed her eyes, sighed and lifted her cup to her mouth before the chocolate turned as cold as the weather. "What things?"

"Many," he answered. "You would be one of them."

Tenten missed the cup when she heard this; it never met her lips, causing the drink to spill to her chin and trickle down to her scarf while some in her paper cup splattered onto her fingers.

Cursing herself inaudibly, she was still contemplating about what she could use to dry her chin and fingers, but Neji did it first.

He gently wiped her chin with a clean handkerchief.

Gently.

With _his_ handkerchief.

Tenten forgot about what he had said. So shocked she was that she didn't realize she had dropped the half-empty paper cup in her hand until it met the ground and some of the content spilled to her left shoe. But screw that cup, she didn't even care.

Neji seemed to ignore it either, his eyes focused on her. She could only stare back with wide eyes, heart pounding madly and cheeks warming by each second. This was the real Hyuuga Neji, right?

That smirk of his appeared suddenly and Neji pulled his handkerchief back only to replace it with two fingers—he snapped her jaw shut, which she didn't realize had been hanging open the entire time.

"You look amusing."

She could feel her blush disappear and the butterflies in her stomach die as she swatted his hand and punched his shoulder. "Shut up!"

Neji didn't even wince from her hard punch. "I thought you wanted me to talk more?"

"Did I say I wanted you to embarrass me?" she asked back, glaring at him.

His smirk never faded. "Are you embarrassed?"

"No!" Tenten answered way too quickly. There was no way she would let him know…

The white eyed man shrugged nonchalantly, thrusting his handkerchief into her left hand while gesturing to the right one. "You might want to clean your fingers."

Glancing at him grudgingly, she did as he'd told even if a part of her stupidly wished he had taken her hand and was wiping her fingers deliberately now.

Good. She had officially just turned into one of those fangirls. Best winter ever.

However, Tenten didn't have much time to muse over that because some white flakes started to fall from the sky.

"Snow!" The brunette squealed excitedly and looked up. "Neji, finally!"

She didn't hear his reply until seconds later. "Hn."

"I can't wait until tomorrow comes," she continued, holding out one hand as her brown eyes shone in joy. "This is wonderful."

"You've done that for years?"

"Do what?"

He sounded impatient. "Wishing when snow is falling."

Tenten turned to face him and grinned. "Yes. Since I was six."

"Why snow?"

"Why? Wishing on a shooting star is too common, I guess. I've only seen a shooting star once in my life. But snow, you can see it every year. Besides, I love winter! How about you?"

"I hate winter."

Tenten stared at him in disbelief. "You do?"

"Hn."

"Neji," she giggled. "You can't hate winter! It's equal to hating yourself."

This time he glanced at her incredulously. "What do you mean?"

The bun haired girl shrugged, trying to hide her smile in her scarf. "Winter represents you," she said, "white, grey, cold, and _dark_."

Because winter always reminded her of him.

He didn't look amused, instead ignoring her and stuffing his hands into his pockets while looking at the sky. Tenten could only stare at him like a fool, hoping she could freeze the image: Neji tilting his head back and letting snowflakes fall onto his bare forehead and gorgeous face and beautiful hair and—

"I will free them someday."

Tenten blinked. "W-what?"

"Branch family," he said quietly. "While I'm happy that I no longer bear the curse seal… I cannot stand seeing other Branch members still struggling with their freedom."

She felt her own eyes soften. "I see."

"I will change everything." She noticed his hands clench tightly. "Somehow, one day, whatever it is I will have to do, I will find a way to change them." His eyebrows drew together. "They will be free just like I am now… but without having to die first."

She was probably being emotional, but tears almost gathered in the corner of her eyes. "I'm here if you need me."

The next second, Tenten regretted her words. How was she supposed to help him change his clan? She was just Hyuuga Neji's teammate, nothing else and nothing more. "I mean," she said quickly, "I support you, Neji."

He finally looked at her and gave her a small smile. "Thank you." He touched his forehead, reminding her of that time years ago after he'd lost to Naruto in Chuunin exam. She'd met him in the recovery room, and he'd told her about his uncle's visit and his new perspective about Hyuuga and freedom.

Until now, Neji didn't know that she was happy for being the first person to hear him admit that he'd made a blind assumption all this time.

"I will be the one to let those birds fly out of their cage." He said softly.

Tenten felt so proud of him and his big heart and his selflessness—he had protected the whole village with his death, he was now free but he still remembered that other _birds_ were still caged, he wanted to free them.

She didn't realize what she was doing then; taking his hand away from his forehead and standing on her tiptoes to kiss him right where the curse seal had once been.

She only caught a glimpse of his eyes when she pulled away and her cheeks were getting warmer already.

"Sorry," she whispered, keeping her eyes downcast. "I've always wanted to do that… when your curse seal was still there."

He didn't say anything and she prayed and prayed, but he kept silent and her heart started breaking.

"I know," Tenten said quietly, nervously squeezing his handkerchief. She was a kunoichi, the Konoha Weapon Mistress and she wouldn't cry like a lovesick girl in front of Hyuuga Neji, the strongest and bravest man she'd ever known, for this ridiculous reason. "I was just being stupid. I'm sorry."

She bit back her disappointment and turned around—

—but Neji was faster and he pulled her arm, spinning her around to face him again and meeting her lips with his.

The last thing she remembered was that she was glad she'd worn some long-lasting candy flavored lip balm before leaving home that evening, or else her lips would've been dry and chapped from the cold when Hyuuga Neji kissed her for the first time. First impressions were the most lasting, right?

But as the Hyuuga prodigy deepened his kiss and wrapped his arms around her neck, Tenten didn't even have any energy to think anymore. Confusion, shock, relief, and happiness blended perfectly, leaving her with pleasant warmth from head to toe.

Neji pulled away right when she thought it was merely a dream and she was going to wake up.

Putting his left hand on her shoulder, he ran his right thumb along her freshly-kissed lips, smirking smugly and elegantly as the action sent a delicious shiver down her spine. Her knees grew weaker under his stare and she was sure she was practically melting like a snowman. Damn Hyuuga Neji for never feeling nervous even in the most embarrassing situations.

After a minute of silence, much to Tenten's disappointment, Neji pulled his hands back.

She licked her lips briefly; they tasted like candy and chocolate and _Neji, _three things she had never thought would be put in one sentence someday because candy and chocolate were sweet while Neji, Neji was another story.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

Tenten managed to swallow. "I-I'll wash your handkerchief and give it back tomorrow?"

She cursed the smirk on his face. This man, it was obvious he enjoyed how stupid she looked right now and would probably use this memory to tease her later in the future. "Keep it."

"But," Tenten protested, "you don't give a handkerchief unless you want to say goodbye! That would mean I would have to cry and dry my eyes alone—"

"They say so," he said softly that she wasn't sure she heard him right. "But let's ignore that belief this time."

Perhaps she had to believe in him because this was indeed the start and not the end. Tenten murmured as softly as he'd done, curling her fingers around the handkerchief. "Okay." _This time, let's forget everything else._

He gave her a last smile which did nothing but increase her heart rate—and turned around to leave. Only when he had taken a few steps did he suddenly stop. "Tenten."

"Yes?" She responded warily.

"What's your wish?"

Tenten wasn't a girl who wanted to submit all of her to a man she loved, do anything to please him, and fill all her heart and head with everything about him only.

But tonight, she decided she wanted to do him a favor, because he had come back to life and he had _saved_ her by doing so. That, added with the fact that their kiss had changed everything between them for the better.

"My wish this time is your wish." Tenten stated and grinned, knowing that he could see it even if his back was to her. "I want to see you change Hyuuga clan and free your caged family someday."

Neji looked at her over his shoulder, eyes and smile warm in contrast to the weather. "Thank you." The simple word was enough to convey everything that needed to be said. Without another word between them, he began walking away again.

Tenten watched his back and his gorgeous Hyuuga hair slowly disappear into the snowflakes, clutching the handkerchief in her hand to her nose—half to hide her blush and lovestruck grin from the world, half to inhale the mixed scent of chocolate and _Neji_ that lingered on the soft fabric.


	21. Watching Your Back

They walked in silence under dark clouds. Tenten lifted her gaze to the sky and rubbed her arms as cold breeze caressed her skin. Small raindrops started to fall from above and she sighed, trying her best to remain sane from all that had happened that day.

She narrowed his eyes, taking a deep breath in an attempt to focus. Just a few minutes ago, Neji had created a small fight with Lee. That idiot, as Neji often called him, had insisted that they escorted their client's daughter—a ten year old civilian girl—to a safe place before chasing their opponent. Neji grew impatient with the fearful child and decided to split up, saying that he needed to find their enemy by himself and Lee had to make sure the girl get home safely.

She stared at Neji's straight, rigid back. He walked silently, each step he took was firm. Even if it seemed that Neji regretted his decision to leave the child with Lee, Tenten convinced herself that they did need to split up and find their enemy immediately.

Another loud thunder was heard and she couldn't help but flinch. As if he saw it, Neji stopped abruptly and asked in a voice full of displeasure. "Why are you following me?"

They had been teammates for only five months, but Tenten knew better than to be offended—Hyuuga Neji rarely said something but when he opened his mouth, there was eighty eight percent of chance he would speak that way and in that tone.

She stopped three feet away behind him. "I'm not following you," she said hesitantly. "Lee said Kiyoko would be alright with him. He would catch up soon."

"Did he tell you to _join_ me?"

"No." Tenten paused for a moment, eyes narrowed in repressed anger. "I'm just… you're just going to find _our_ enemy and you're going to need my help fighting him!"

Snorting, Neji pushed his hands into his pockets. "Are you joking? If there's someone you need to be worried about, it's Lee."

Brown eyes widened. "If you don't trust him, then why did you let him handle Kiyoko alone? You're the captain of this mission! You should've—"

"You should've joined Lee to make sure he won't put that child in danger."

Good. At least he thought she was _capable_ to prevent Lee from doing something careless. "The enemy we're searching for is dangerous." Tenten said. "I don't think Lee would meet any enemy on his way to take Kiyoko home. You'd need my help more than Lee would."

He didn't answer and she said more aggressively. "Why, do you think you're not going to need my help?" she said, snorting. Hyuuga Neji was a real jerk, she reminded herself, and she just had to deal with that fact. Honestly, how could Iruka-sensei think the combination of the arrogant Hyuuga Neji, the tireless Rock Lee, and the, well, _the Tenten,_ would work excellently as a team? "That's fine, really, but just let me stay at the back in case you need my weapons to distract him. You won't regret it."

Neji turned his head to look at her.

She braced herself to glare back at him. There was no way she would let Neji win, especially when she thought he was wrong. Just because this proud Hyuuga was a genius, didn't mean he could not be wrong.

He tore his gaze away from her and she heard him mutter "Byakugan" almost inaudibly, signaling that he was ready to find their enemy.

"Stay behind me. Let's go."

* * *

"Neji!" She called out in confusion as she jumped down to stand in front of him.

The Hyuuga prodigy was silent, calmly reaching behind to push his long hair out of the way and pull out a shuriken. Her shuriken that had accidentally embedded in the back of his neck.

"How could?" Tenten furrowed her eyebrows, confused, if not slightly guilty. "I thought you saw that coming?"

Neji inspected the shuriken in his hand, the small weapon smeared by red liquid. "Hn."

"There was something wrong." She crossed her arms. "Your Byakugan was activated but you—"

"You found it."

She blinked. "What?"

"You found it," he repeated, pale gaze still on the shuriken. "My blind spot."

Thankfully, her brain was able to process that information quickly. "You mean, your Byakugan has weakness?"

He lifted his head and looked at her with those piercing eyes. "Don't tell anyone."

Tenten managed to swallow. "Y…yes."

"I have never told anyone before." He said quietly. "If any enemy found out…"

Her breath almost stopped from the realization. She knew Hyuuga Neji's blind spot, his weakness, his secret, which would put his life in danger if any enemy were to find out.

She had been his training partner for almost one year now. Neji was still Neji who never talked much, still the jerk she had known from the first time they'd met. She knew he had a lot of problems with his family, but he had never openly talked about it to her. To say that knowing one of his secrets dumbfounded her was understandable. "I understand."

He regarded her for a few moments, making her slightly uncomfortable, before he hurled the steel in his hand to one of the dummies she used for target practice. "Let's continue."

As always after their training ended, Neji left first. Tenten collected her weapons in silence, but not before she pulled out the shuriken Neji had thrown to the dummy. She took a deep breath, staring at the dried blood before slipping the weapon into her pocket.

She didn't even know why she did it in the first place.

* * *

"Are you both fine?" Lee asked worriedly.

Tenten knew that despite her efforts to hide it, she was still grimacing while gripping her arm. She saw Neji glance briefly at her wound before he muttered. "I'm fine."

The two boys stared at her, waiting for an answer and she looked up at Lee. "I'm fine too. Come on, Lee, lead the way to leave this place!"

They had been teammates for almost four years now. Normally the team's formation would be Neji-Lee-Tenten, however this time Lee was the one knew the way and had to be at the front. The taijutsu master nodded solemnly. "Follow me."

Neji didn't move. Tenten glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"You go after Lee," he told her. "I'm behind you."

Instantly, she shook her head. What was that, was Hyuuga Neji actually worried about her? "No. I'm behind you."

"You're injured. The enemy could suddenly come up behind you."

"You are injured too." She insisted. If anything, his wounds were not any better than hers—he was just better at hiding pain. "You surely would have noticed if someone's coming."

"My youthful friends," Lee cleared his throat. "Don't you think we should hurry?"

He casted her a last, unreadable glance before following Lee who had leapt to the nearest tree branch. Tenten joined them, watching Neji's back and his long hair from behind as they jumped from tree to tree.

She sighed. It wasn't that she was afraid their enemies would suddenly appear behind them—it was just that her place was _behind_ him.

* * *

Tenten's eyes widened as she quickly put herself between Neji's back and the coming arrow, letting the weapon graze her shoulder and tear the fabric of her shirt. She gasped in pain and pulled the arrow from her flesh. The wound wasn't deep, but fresh blood trickled down her arm.

"Tenten!" Neji's surprised voice was heard.

She glanced back right when Neji's opponent aimed a punch to the distracted Hyuuga's chin. "Neji, watch out!"

He managed to dodge the hit and tried to focus on his own battle. "Damn it." She heard him curse.

Gritting her teeth in pain—when had this wound become so painful?—Tenten unrolled her scroll, hurling a bunch of weapons toward her opponent, the one who had injured her with the arrow. He moved fast, avoiding the steels while Tenten felt Neji's back pressed to hers.

"Tenten! Are you alright?"

"Yes!" She was proud that her voice sounded firm even when her shoulder throbbed achingly. "Stay focused, Neji."

She didn't know whether he answered or not, because the last thing she knew was that a few arrows flying toward her. Then she saw a blur of blue chakra around her—Neji's Kaiten, perhaps, but she didn't remember that being in the circle of his jutsu had ever made her this dizzy.

She opened her eyes to find herself supported on Neji's back. All she saw was a blur of green—trees; he was surely taking her back to Konoha.

"I killed them."

Tenten gasped, although not for the fact that Neji realized she was awake without having to look. "Neji. Are you alright?"

He ignored her question. "The arrow was poisoned. Why did you take it?"

She knew what he meant. "It almost met your blind spot."

"And did you have to take it?" She heard a hint of anger in his voice. "What were you thinking?"

Instead of feeling afraid, Tenten grew angry herself. "What are _you_ thinking? I was protecting you!"

"I have never said that you need to protect me."

"Damn it, Neji!" She said aloud into his ear and closed her eyes in frustration, forgetting her aching body for a moment. "Why can't you just give me a chance? I just want to always watch your back!"

His grip on the back of her thighs tightened. She took a lungful of air, realizing that her breathing had turned short and she was sweating from the poison's effect.

"Don't talk too much." He said quietly. "You're just hurting yourself more."

_Right, don't talk too much._ Pressing her lips together, Tenten let her chin rest on his shoulder and allowed warm tears to drip onto his shirt.

He knew she was crying. But he said nothing.

Tenten closed her eyes, wishing that her pain—whether the one in her shoulder or in her chest—could bring her to sleep until they reached Konoha.

* * *

"Don't you think so? That was so funny!"

Tenten laughed along with her female friends at something Ino had said. It was the anniversary of their village and a huge festival was held. Tenten had looked forward to this celebration, mainly because she got to wear her new pink kimono she had never worn before. Contrary to what people thought, the Weapon Mistress also loved kimono—like every other woman, she always felt pretty wearing it.

It was unfortunate that Neji didn't see her that night.

She sighed silently. After the accident two weeks ago, he had not seen Neji anymore. The day following that mission, he had been sent to another one and Lee had told her that it was going to be a long one.

Tenten stared at her feet. She wondered what he thought after her confession back then, that she just wanted to watch his back. He—

"Tenten."

So shocked she was that she took a step back. Her wide eyes lifted to the person standing before him—the first person she wanted to see that night and also the _last_ person she wanted to see that night.

Neji watched her calmly. Her friends had stopped talking and laughing the moment he had showed up.

"Neji?" Her voice was almost a whisper.

"I need to talk to you." He glanced at Ino, Sakura, and his cousin Hinata, as if asking for their permission. "Can I?"

"Of course!" Sakura shrugged while Hinata nodded in agreement. "You don't need to ask."

Ino glanced at her with something akin to mischief in her eyes. "Sure," the blonde encouraged. "Whenever you want, Hyuuga!" She pushed Tenten's shoulders towards Neji, forcing her to lose her balance and almost bump into Neji's chest if he didn't catch her elbow.

Before she could send any hateful look to the Yamanaka, Neji had pulled her from the other girls, seemingly unaware that she was blushing hard from this humiliation.

They were silent as Neji took her away from the crowd, leading her to an empty clearing where the noises of the festival were unheard.

When she was sure they were alone, Tenten opened her mouth. "Ne—"

He silenced her with a kiss.

Tenten had dreamed of this multiple times, but had never expected this. Her mind told her to kiss him back, to return his grip, but shock absolutely won and she didn't know what to do.

But this was Hyuuga Neji and he did, no, he _got_ what he wanted by his own way.

Neji pulled her into his chest after he broke away, not allowing her to look at his face. "I'm sorry."

She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his yukata. "For?"

"I didn't…" he paused for a few seconds. "I didn't mean to say it."

Because this was Neji and his apology was always awkward, Tenten understood; he actually didn't need to ask for forgiveness. She nodded her head, eyes closed and arms wrapped around his waist tightly. "I know."

He pulled away and pushed a few strands of chocolate hair from her forehead. As usual, there weren't many words said between them. That was enough, the silence was enough.

She smiled at him. "Let's go back to the festival."

He nodded and turned around to start walking, but stopped immediately, probably because she hadn't moved. "Are you still afraid someone is going to impale my back with an arrow?"

Tenten couldn't help but laugh. "No. I just…" she just wondered if everything between them would change from now on. "I just—"

"Just walk beside me."

She blinked after a few moments before grinning widely. "Okay."

They walked side by side to the festival. There was no holding hands, but the "accidental" brushing of their fingers every so often was enough for her.

* * *

Tenten put a fingertip on one of his scars. "You've got the new one."

Neji grunted in response as she examined his back. "I didn't think you knew every scar on my back."

"Your scars here aren't that many." The kunoichi shrugged. _I would always watch your back, after all._ "This one was from your mission in The Land of Wind two months ago." She ran her fingertip along the other line, noticing that he shuddered at the touch. "And you got this one from that ANBU mission you refused to tell me about."

"That was a secret," he said defensively. "I wasn't supposed to tell you."

"Yeah, right, I had no right to know." Tenten's finger found another small scar. "And this one—"

He had pinned her to the mattress. "This one what?" He whispered, amusement apparent in his eyes.

"Neji," she giggled. "I'm not done yet."

He raised an eyebrow before leaning down, long dark hair tickling the skin of her shoulders. Her cheeks grew warmer and she wondered when those butterflies whenever he was around her would disappear—it had been a year after their first kiss that night.

His smirk, however, told her that he had no problem with that. "So am I."

* * *

She was almost asleep when she heard his voice. "Tenten."

"Hm?" She muttered sleepily and shifted a bit to tell him that she was listening. It wasn't late at night yet, but Hiashi had just invited them to a special dinner for the whole clan. They had just been married for one week, and she thought that every unnecessary clan tradition was exhausting, including dinner which was supposed to be simple and relaxing. Not to mention, the look Neji's family had been giving her during that time…

"Why did you choose me?"

Brown eyes opened; all she saw was his dark hair. His back was facing her, her left arm wrapped around his waist from behind. "Why do you ask?"

A pause. "I'm not… the best man you could ever ask for."

"What?"

"I've… never been good with words." Tenten felt that even now he was struggling to say it. "I don't say how I feel often. I don't kiss you, or hold your hand when people are around. I don't send you flowers or—"

Tenten laughed. "What happened to you?" When he didn't answer, she smiled and reached for his hand. "Did I ever ask for any of that?"

"No. But—"

"I don't need all the things you mentioned." She tightened her fingers around his. "Just let me stay behind you."

He seemed uncertain. "Why is it so important?"

"You don't trust anyone easily. By letting me watch your back," the Weapon Mistress chuckled, "you show that you trust me. It means more than anything."

He said nothing.

A moment later, her eyes grew heavier and she sighed into his hair. "Goodnight, Neji."

Neji rolled around in a flash. The next thing she knew was that they had switched position—Neji embraced her from behind, enveloping her in his arms securely.

"Now."

"Now?" Tenten echoed in confusion, heartbeat quickened as she waited for his next words.

"Now is my turn." She felt her husband press his lips to the top of her head. "To always watch your back."

Tears rolled down her cheeks quietly and she was just glad he didn't see it.

* * *

**(A/N):** So, have you watched Shippuden 398? LOL, I won't stop boasting about that episode.

I kind of hate this chapter. Any thoughts?


	22. I Don't Care, Marry Me

He just wanted to know.

In his younger years, even after his battle against Uzumaki Naruto, he had never thought about marriage. He had never thought about himself proposing and being married to a woman. His ideal future was becoming a powerful shinobi, stronger than a Branch Hyuuga was supposed to be.

And he definitely had never thought about being rejected.

Neji stared silently at Tenten's back as she walked ahead of him along a small path in a forest. They had just finished a mission and now were on their way back to Konoha. His longtime partner had been silent along the way, something which didn't happen often—the only times she was _that_ quiet were when she was asleep, or unconscious, or mad at him.

This was none of those cases.

Even from behind she looked beautiful, and Neji had never called a woman beautiful easily. She had left the familiar loose white top and red pants, choosing to wear a small pink dress that… well, Neji swore he had never thought much about her curves before. Her long dark brown hair was now in some complicated braided buns. Oh, and he liked her new bangs too. All women in his family never did something with their long, straight Hyuuga hair, and seeing Tenten with such fascinating hairstyle was something he secretly enjoyed.

His gaze shifted to her injured left arm. She definitely needed new bandages and was probably pretending it was okay. Neji's lips pressed into a thin line as he quickened his pace until he was only a step behind her.

"You really need to change your bandages."

"It'll be fine," she answered without turning her head to look at him. Ever since she'd refused to marry him two weeks ago, she had been acting strangely and they hadn't even talked properly during the mission.

"Stopping for a few minutes wouldn't hurt. We aren't in a rush."

It was actually his pathetic attempt to get a chance to talk to her.

"We're almost there," she said. "I'll find a medic ninja soon."

Being Hyuuga Neji, he had never got many rejections in his life. His status in the clan obliged him to always say yes for the rest of his life, but he wasn't used to hear no outside. As the captain of his team during missions, his every command was a rule that everyone obeyed. Even the sometimes-stubborn-and-obstinate Tenten had always followed every word he gave her on battlefields—which resulted in their invincible teamwork and trust in each other.

But she'd said no when he'd proposed.

This time, he didn't want to hear no again. In the blink of an eye he was in front of her with a roll of bandage in his hand, making sure he used that well-known commanding Hyuuga tone—but softer since it was for her.

"Let me do that."

Surprise was apparent in those dark eyes. Tenten stared at him for a long time before eventually giving up, walking toward the nearest large tree wordlessly. Neji followed as she sat down, kneeling down before her.

They both were silent as he worked, his fingertips brushing against the soft skin of her arm every so often. Neji made sure he didn't show any expression while in his head he was searching for the right words to say. He wanted to resolve this, he wanted to know the reason behind her refusal because she hadn't given him any logical reason, any clear explanation. He hadn't given up yet, not until she convinced him that she could _never_ marry him.

Neji knew it wasn't that she was not ready. When she'd rejected him, he'd asked her if she wasn't ready for this, but she'd only answered by shaking her head, signaling that the reason was much more complicated than just that.

They had been in this quiet, subtle-but-always-there relationship for almost four years now and he just wanted more. They had become adults, mature enough; he was ready, wanting to make her officially his before everything was too late—they were shinobi, they probably wouldn't have enough time.

"Are you mad at me?" Tenten's voice interrupted his musings.

It took all of his will to stay composed. "No."

"You didn't say anything during the mission."

Neji finished his work, finally meeting her gaze. "If I'm not mistaken, it's you who always starts a conversation."

Tenten chuckled. "I did it just a few seconds ago." She paused to clear her throat even though he didn't think there was something wrong with it. "By the way, do you have any mission after this?"

"Yes." He said quietly. "With you again."

Brown eyes widened slightly, but she quickly recovered. "Oh. I didn't even know."

"That's why I informed you."

They both fell into a deep silence again. No one made a move to get up and continue walking even though he had finished treating her wounded arm.

"I don't understand." Tenten murmured suddenly, inviting him to glance at her. "Why I'm always paired with you even after all this time."

Neji's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You're far stronger, far greater than me." She shrugged casually as if what she was saying now wasn't something important. "Everyone knows."

"You're a Jounin now," he said to remind her. Did she forget about that?

Tenten laughed shortly. "It's just a rank, Neji," she said. "It doesn't change the fact that I am nothing compared to you."

"Why should it matter?" Neji asked, not believing what he had just heard. Even if he was _greater_ than her, he had never thought much about that, had never been bothered by that. She was one of only few capable kunoichi he knew, and really, it was just enough.

"Because you want me to marry you."

Neji stared at her in shock and disbelief. Tenten sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt off the back of her thighs. "We should go—"

He stood in front of her, stopping her. "Is that the reason?"

Any other girl would've probably pretended like she didn't understand what he was talking about, but Tenten had always been a forthright, honest person. This time too, she answered him matter-of-factly. "Yes."

Neji's head was doing too much thinking after that. She didn't want to marry him because he was stronger than her. It was unbelievable and utterly ridiculous.

"I don't care about such things," he said, trying hard not to look and sound frustrated.

"I do," Tenten stated, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Neji, can't you stop acting like it is nothing? I know you are well aware what would happen if you married me."

"What do you think would happen?"

"A lot of things."

"You worry too much, Tenten."

"I have to."

"That's unnecessary."

"Then choose another woman," she said it too casually. "A woman who will immediately say yes and cry in happiness when you propose to her."

Their relationship, Neji remembered, was far from how a fairytale would be. He knew there wouldn't be a day when he knelt down with a ring in his hand in front of a crying Tenten—his proposal would be the simplest and most unromantic proposal in the world, but he was certain she wouldn't mind.

However, he had also never imagined that she would say no. Lee had once joked that no woman would ever resist Neji, would say no to him, for the youthful charm he possessed. The loud man was wrong. Tenten was still stubborn as always. Half part of him felt offended while the other half only admired her more; she was challenging and he had always liked challenges.

Unfortunately, the latter part won.

"You can always have another woman, Neji."

"I only want you."

That was his very first confession. He had never said anything about his feelings for her, not even after they'd kissed for the first time, a week after the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. After surviving the war, after seeing that there was no guarantee a shinobi could live for as long as they needed, he'd decided to let go of his pride as a stoic, emotionless shinobi. He'd kissed her that night.

She had kissed him back, creating pleasant sparks within him, and neither had said anything about their feelings even until now. Every emotion, every feeling was always in the form of actions: kisses, touches, body language and eye contact.

"I want you," he said again, quietly, "and our children, when we are ready—to be a part of my life."

Her eyes widened when she heard "children" and he honestly didn't blame her. Admitting that he wanted children was officially the most shocking confession Hyuuga Neji had ever made. Perhaps, admitting that he wanted her couldn't even break the record.

"I'm…" she paused to take a deep breath. "I'm too far below you."

He didn't even know where her usual self-confidence had gone. "You're _not_ and I don't care."

"Your name is well-known through the village. Mine isn't."

"I don't care."

"Not all of your family would be happy about me."

"I don't care."

"Neji, please, you don't understand—"

"_Shut up_." Neji growled and took a step forward. With her back pressed against the tree trunk, she looked up at him with wide eyes, face only a few inches away from his.

"I don't care," he said almost harshly. "I don't care about all those silly, ridiculous reasons you have told me. I don't care."

Before she even had the chance to respond, he spoke again. "I don't care if you think you are _nobody_ compared to me. I don't care what people would think about our marriage. I don't care what my family would say. I don't care."

She shut her eyes tightly.

"Let me be selfish for the last time. After our marriage, I wouldn't…" his voice trailed off as he searched for the right words, "I wouldn't force anything on you. I would listen to you, discuss everything with you, I would let you do anything, be anything."

Because he would treat her like she deserved to be treated—he didn't care about her social status, about her reputation, he wouldn't make her feel inferior. He would let her decorate their house, decide what to eat for dinner; anything.

She was the strongest woman he had ever met. How could he treat her like she was his subordinate?

"If you want me too, that's enough," he said in a softer tone. He knew her too well to tell that _she_ wanted him as well. He wouldn't have proposed to her if it wasn't obvious that she returned all of his feelings.

She wanted him too and that was all he ever needed.

"I don't care about anything else. Marry me."

When she opened her chocolate eyes again, his heart started to thump faster; he caught the look of longing and hope in them, making him pray that her resolve would break, that she would finally give up.

"Yes."

Her answer was the softest he had ever heard from her, but Neji's ears caught it, he heard her, he wanted to explode from the unfamiliar emotions inside him. He pressed his lips to hers to prevent her from saying anything else, swallowing her gasp of surprise, pleased when she ran her fingers through his long hair and pulled him closer to her.

Yet, he couldn't help but feel afraid, afraid that she said yes out of pressure, afraid that she would change her mind, afraid that she hated him for forcing her.

But she smiled against his lips and his worry faded away.

Her smile had always been the one to melt the ice inside him. Neji broke the kiss and drew her into his arms, savoring the feel of her soft body pressed against his firm one, inhaling the green tea scent of her hair, relishing the moment.

The fact that Tenten didn't even ask him where the ring was—Neji had left it at home because he didn't want to lose it during the mission—only proved him that she didn't care about anything else now. Their love, Neji remembered, was not a fairytale, but he didn't mind because it was the way they were, even if it meant that she had to reject him at first and he had to propose in the middle of a forest without a ring.

He didn't care about anything else. Not even about fate.

"But, Neji."

"Hn." Even he himself could hear the exhaustion in his own monosyllabic response. He didn't want her to give him any other ridiculous reason. Not again.

"Hinata told me Hyuuga wedding kimono was heavy," she murmured, slightly muffled by his shoulder. "I don't know if I could wear it for hours."

Neji tightened his arms around her smaller frame and half-growled into her ear, voice desperate and husky. "I don't care. Marry me."

* * *

**(A/N):** The only reason I wanted to post this was because I couldn't get the last two paragraphs out of my head.

About the lack of update lately, I think it's better to update sporadically than retiring forever, isn't it? Too bad there's no NejiTen month anymore. I miss the old Aprils. Where are you, NejiTen shippers?


	23. Eyes and Wings

**(A/N):** Only slight romance here because I truly adore NejiTen friendship. Anyway, special thanks to the first reviewer for this chapter (it's going to be the 100th review, LOL).

* * *

Hyuuga Neji knew nothing about music, but there was something about the voice of a little bird singing somewhere above that made him want to freeze the moment. The melody made its way from his ears to his chest, and he decided that he had never heard something so beautiful.

He had been standing under this large tree in his team's old training grounds since five minutes ago. He felt content to be alone like that, enjoying the peaceful moment, quietly inhaling the early autumn smell in the air. The surroundings were so familiar that he could probably find himself meditating in this standing position.

Strangely, he didn't feel disturbed at all when he sensed chakra form behind him and heard a familiar feminine voice.

"Neji, there you are! What are you doing here?"

"Standing," he said simply, holding back a smirk and knowing without looking that she was rolling her eyes exasperatedly.

"Come on, Neji, it's Naruto's birthday. Show some enthusiasm, will you?"

Neji decided not to tell her that he refused to feel enthusiastic about anything concerning Naruto. The loud blond had invited them all to Ichiraku—who had grown from just a small shop into a pretty large restaurant. His love for ramen hadn't changed at all and this time he asked only his few close friends to come to make it more special.

He finally turned around to face her. "How much time left until the lunch starts?"

"Half an hour," she said. "You should at least get prepared. Lee and Gai-sensei—"

"Turn down your volume," he said half-jokingly. "You're disturbing the bird. He stopped chirping once you appeared from nowhere and started to shout at me."

"Bird? What bird?" A pause. "Oh. Don't tell me you've been here listening to that bird singing."

"Hn."

Tenten sighed. "Neji, it's not training time," she said, "why are you even here?"

"I was just thinking."

"About?"

The long haired man closed his eyes. "This autumn."

His old friend was quiet for a long time before he heard a sigh again, this time heavier. "It's been two years, isn't it? Exactly two years."

She still remembered, he said inwardly. "Yes."

Neji thought that it probably wasn't a coincidence that his temporary death had been right a day before Naruto's birthday.

"It seems like yesterday, you know. The war and all."

The young man nodded. "Time flies."

"Because we all are busy," Tenten chuckled. "How is Hyuuga, by the way? You said something about an important meeting yesterday."

"It's being held tomorrow." He reached out and ran his fingers along the tree trunk. "It's going to be a long one, so I won't probably get a chance to see you."

"That's alright."

A smirk grew on his lips beyond his control. "Don't be so disappointed. Go train with Lee or something tomorrow."

He received a punch in the shoulder the next second. "I didn't sound that disappointed, did I?"

Knowing that any answer would be wrong and would probably earn him another hit, Neji changed the topic. "Is the bird still there?"

A few seconds passed before her response came. "I wish you could see it yourself."

The corner of his lips turned upwards. "I can't, Tenten."

He heard her exhale slowly, somehow in exhaustion. "That's why I wish you could."

An uncomfortable silence followed—which didn't happen often between them. Neji never said much while Tenten always understood and respected the fact, being quiet when he wanted her to. But it had never been awkward like this.

"I just wish you could see the world, see everything. See the leaves changing this autumn, see the colored sky. I wish you could see… me." He frowned at her words, but she added quickly. "And Lee. And Gai-sensei."

"I don't think the two have changed." Neji shrugged. "As long as they're still wearing those ridiculous green suits, I don't think I should really see them."

"You're so mean," Tenten snorted.

"They're always loud, Tenten," he said, making sure he sounded serious. "As long as I can still hear them, it's enough."

"I'm not as loud as them."

"But I can still hear you."

There was a long pause until suddenly he heard a strange voice—a strange and shocking voice.

Tenten was sobbing. Tenten was _crying_. His ears couldn't be wrong. He had been relying on his hearing since two years ago and he couldn't hear it wrong. It was too sudden; just a minute ago she had punched him and now she was crying.

"What's the matter?" he asked quietly. Did he say something wrong?

"Nothing," she answered in a small, shaky voice. "It's nothing."

She was crying and Neji had to stop himself from panicking—he had always thought that tears were a sign of weakness, but Tenten had _never_ cried in the first place. It was only normal for him to be shocked to see, no, to hear her bursting into tears.

Neji didn't even realize he was reaching his hand out until his fingertips met the warm tears on her cheeks. He heard her gasp, as if what he was doing now was surprising.

He didn't blame her, for he too didn't believe that he was really touching her face now. Ignoring the strange, unfamiliar feelings in his stomach, he spoke just to distract his mind. "What is this then?"

Her answer was unexpected. "Am I not allowed to cry?"

"I don't know," he murmured. "All I know is _Tenten_ doesn't cry."

More hot tears ran down to his thumb.

"You've never cried before. When I died, when I was finally revived." He frowned, brushing his fingertips against her skin briefly for the last time before pulling back his hand. "I can't even remember the last time I saw you cry."

He had to wait until she opened her mouth again.

"I…" she paused to take a deep trembling breath, "I'm happy you were revived. I'm happy you no longer bear the curse seal. But I don't understand, Neji. You're supposed to see everything. The new peaceful world, the new Hokage, everything."

He found himself at a loss for words.

"You're too strong to stop fighting," she said, "you were one of the best shinobi of Konoha, Neji, you deserve better than this. And Gai-sensei, too..."

She sobbed loudly and something in his chest stung at the sound of it. Tenten had never told him, but he knew how sad she was that their teacher had to live his life in a wheelchair. How sad she was that they could no longer see their beloved teacher, their father figure, running hundreds of laps around Konoha with Lee, shouting youthful phrases along the way. Despite the circumstances, the energetic older man had not lost his optimism at all, but Tenten—and even Neji himself sometimes —thought that their sensei deserved better than this.

"I've never wanted an ending like this for Team Gai." She continued, ending it with a heartbreaking sob, like it needed a lot of effort for her to speak. "I've never dreamed of this. You and Gai-sensei, you two should've been fighting out there with me and Lee. Just like our old times."

Neji closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"First of all, I have never stopped fighting, and I never will," he said. "I may not go into battlefields anymore, but I am here, fighting for Hyuuga clan, teaching the young generation, working hard for equality for all Branch members to make my late father proud."

Since that night two years ago, Neji had forgotten everything about becoming a strong shinobi, leaving all his hopes behind. He accepted it and regretted nothing, though. It had been his own choice, he now felt free after choosing his own fate just like what his father had done. He was more than lucky to be resurrected despite the waiting darkness.

He had never locked himself in his room mourning over his broken dreams—yes, Hyuuga Neji had dreams too, and he had found out that sometimes people, not only little children but also men, changed their dreams for the future. He had found other things to do—helping Hiashi with clan business until he became his uncle's right-hand man, teaching young Hyuugas their clan jutsu, even helping the Hokage in his office along with Shikamaru. He still trained with Lee and Tenten, despite all his limitations now, whenever they had time.

He secretly stole old scrolls from Hyuuga library and went to Tenten—simply because he couldn't think of anyone else but her—to ask her to read them aloud for him. He did research with her help, studying everything about his clan just for one goal: he wanted to free the caged birds. He was already free, he wasn't chained to his status as the _weaker_ and the subordinate anymore, but other Branch members were not. He just wanted them to taste the same freedom.

He had finally succeeded in convincing Hiashi and the council that this needed to stop, that this tradition needed to stop and there were better ways to protect the precious Byakugan. Only a few months after he was appointed as Hiashi's official assistant, the Main-and-Branch system was finally abolished. Neji marked the clan history for changing the old tradition that no one before had been able to change for many, many years.

He couldn't see the expression of the Branch members the day their green marks were erased, but they all murmured thank you and, according to Tenten who hadn't even left his side, they all were happy that she even whispered it was heartwarming to see a bunch of Hyuuga smiling like that.

"If I wasn't dead and revived later, they wouldn't have _seen_ and heard me. They wouldn't have let me change our clan. I would've continued as a shinobi, but everything in Hyuuga probably would've been still the same. Nothing changed. Nothing became better."

Neji believed that his fate was in his own hand and he had the freedom to choose. He chose to dedicate his life to the Hyuuga clan after he could no longer become a shinobi, because not only Naruto but he also held more than one life in his hand.

"And what did you say about Team Gai? As far as I'm concerned, we are still a team. There won't be an ending for us. Even if Gai-sensei cannot walk and I cannot see anymore. Even if you have to go to missions with Lee only, without us."

He could still hear her sobbing faintly and he wanted nothing more than to reassure her that everything was alright. Gai-sensei was alright. He was alright.

"The most important, if I had to lose my sight in order to become free… believe me, it's still better than having Byakugan but not being able to change anything."

She didn't give any response until a few seconds later. "Are you sure?"

The Hyuuga gave a slight nod. "Birds don't need eyes to fly," he said, directing his empty gaze to the branches above, hoping that the bird, that had stopped singing since Tenten's arrival, was still there listening to their conversation. "They need wings."

"You don't have wings." Her voice was still hoarse from tears.

"I do."

"Where are they?" Tenten asked, now with a slight laughter in her voice he didn't fail to notice, and a weight lifted from his chest instantly. "I don't see anything on your back."

"I do." He repeated, lips forming not his old arrogant smirk, but a smile, a soft smile he only reserved for the few most important people around him. "Team Gai will never be the same again, Tenten, but at the same time there are certain things that will remain the way it used to be."

"Even if you lost your sight and Gai-sensei lost his ability to walk?"

"You didn't lose me." He paused, then added firmly even if he could barely hide the slight amusement in his tone. "And Lee. And Gai-sensei."

She was silent for a long time, probably wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand.

Without waiting for her response anymore, Neji offered his arm the way he had always done whenever he asked her to guide him, to lead him during his first few months being blind. "Shall we?"

Tenten and Lee had been the ones teaching him to walk, to do anything as normally as he could, to get used to the darkness he would have to deal with for the rest of his life. And in the end, his darkness turned to light.

Slender fingers wrapped around the crook of his arm, the touch warm and comforting just like her presence. A bright, cheery, so Tenten-like voice followed. "Sure."

As they walked side by side, with the chill breeze dancing on his skin, the mixture of sweet autumn and Tenten's familiar scent filling his nose, Neji convinced himself that someday people would finally see them walking hand in hand. For now, he was content with the way her hand gripping his arm tightly, not letting go of him, preventing him from tripping and keeping him in the right path even if he was able to walk by himself now.

He decided not to tell her that he thought perhaps Team Gai—perhaps _she_—really was his wings, a pair of wings that had always brought him to the sky all this time because he knew now that to be free, he needed wings more than eyes.


	24. The New Hyuuga Clan

**I.**

It was winter when Tenten stopped at the gates of Hyuuga compound for the first time. She had never been in this area unless necessary, mainly because it was the part of the village where old, rich families lived, away from her apartment.

She looked up only to admire the tall double gates—they looked old and elegant, probably made from the finest wood in the entire Fire Country.

"Can you wait here?"

It sounded a lot more like a command, not a question. Tenten rolled her eyes and shrugged nonchalantly. She hadn't expected Neji to invite her to come into his large house. Not because he hated her or anything, but over the past few months being his teammate she had found out that he had always been secretive when it came to his family.

She only knew that he'd lost his mother right after his birth and his father five years later. He had never told her, or Lee, or Gai-sensei the details.

"Of course," she said.

He didn't reply and without sparing her so much as a glance, disappeared behind the gates.

The bun haired girl was tempted to peek through the slightly ajar gates—she wondered if the house was as large as people often said—but she remembered Hyuugas had all-seeing eyes and if they had personality like Neji, they would frown upon her action. So she decided to wait patiently until Neji came back. He was just gathering his things and they would immediately depart for their mission.

Tenten was too busy rubbing her palms together—the temperature seemed to drop by each minute—that she barely noticed someone approaching her.

"E-excuse me…"

Tenten turned her head to find a girl in a cream jacket, who was likely younger than her, looking at the ground and playing with her fingers. When she finally lifted her eyes Tenten was surprised to find them familiar.

Her pale orbs looked exactly like Neji's, unless hers lacked some sort of arrogance Neji possessed. She looked like him for some reason: her eyes and nose and even lips. The only difference was her short hair. It was blue, not dark coffee.

"I-is this yours?" The girl extended her hand, revealing a hair tie in her palm.

"Wait," Tenten said. She always brought extra hair tie wherever she went, so she reached into her pockets, only to find one of them gone. "Oh, right, it's mine."

She accepted the hair tie and smiled at the girl. "Thank you."

"Y-you're welcome," the girl said without meeting her look, blush coloring her pale cheeks. For the first time Tenten realized this Hyuuga girl spoke in the softest way she had ever heard. Was she really Neji's relative?

"E-excuse me." She bowed quickly and turned away—

—only to bump into Neji's chest.

The weapon specialist watched in puzzlement as the girl stumbled backwards and looked up at Neji, stammering an apology. Neji, on the other hand, barely reacted. He only stared at her with an unreadable expression, no words coming out from him as the smaller girl ran into the compound.

Tenten frowned. She hadn't missed the way the girl trembled and the way Neji almost glared at her. Sure, Neji was a stoic cold-hearted prodigy and all, but why would he do that to his own relative?

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Neji's voice surprised her.

"No, of course no," she answered as she trailed after him along the empty street. "Neji, why didn't you tell me you had a sister?"

Neji turned his head over his shoulder to look at her sharply. "I have no sister."

Something was wrong with her question, Tenten thought. Why was he offended? "I'm sorry. I thought she was your sister. Is she your cousin, then?"

Neji didn't reply right away. "Why do you ask?"

She rolled her eyes. "I just want to know. Besides," she said, remembering how the younger girl blushed and looked up shyly at her, "She's really cute."

To her confusion, Neji quickened his pace.

**II.**

The next time she met the timid girl was a month later, when she was visiting Neji in Konoha hospital. Neji was strong but that didn't mean he would never get injured, she concluded during their last mission. He didn't seem to accept it well, but couldn't say anything when Gai-sensei brought him to hospital.

She found the Hyuuga girl standing in front of Neji's closed door, head hanging low in silence, bangs obscuring her eyes. She was holding a basket of apples in one hand while the other hand reached up to knock the door.

Tenten raised an eyebrow when she pulled back her hand.

"Hey, are you visiting Neji?"

The girl squeaked and looked up at her frantically.

"Sorry!" Tenten said concernedly. "I didn't mean to appear out of nowhere and surprise you. I'm Neji's teammate, by the way. Why don't you come in?"

"A-ano…" Crimson streaked across pale cheeks as the younger girl lowered her gaze. "I-I…"

Since she had always possessed self-confidence, Tenten couldn't understand why this girl had to be that self-conscious about herself. She came from the famous Hyuuga clan, unlike her who didn't even have a last name. But this time, the Hyuuga looked really uncomfortable, and because she was Neji's relative she decided to stop making her more embarrassed.

"It's okay. We should come in together. Neji's probably—"

"No!" The quiet girl finally met her eyes. "I-I need to go somewhere. C-can you please deliver this to Neji-nii?"

"Oh, sure." Tenten finally said, accepting the basket full of shiny red apples. "You two are cousins, I guess."

The answer was so soft she could barely hear it. "Yes."

The weapon specialist wondered how on earth this girl and Neji shared the same blood. "I'm Tenten, what's your name?"

"Hyuuga Hinata." The girl bowed quickly. "Thank you for your help, Tenten-san."

Tenten could only stare as she turned away.

Neji was sitting in his bed supported by pillows as she entered the room. In his lap was a small scroll, no doubt the report of their mission yesterday since he hadn't been able to finish it with their team due to his injury. She didn't even bother to read it, she thought wryly as she made her way to the empty chair next to his bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," he said simply without tearing his gaze from the scroll. No thank you at all, but this was Neji and Neji didn't say thank you often, so she ignored it.

"Your cousin brought you this," Tenten said as she sat down, gesturing to the basket she was holding. "She couldn't come in because—"

Neji's head snapped up. "What?"

"What?" Tenten echoed, taken aback.

His pearly orbs were unreadable. "How did you even talk to her?"

"Well, she was actually standing outside. And I don't know why but she didn't want to come in." She paused. "Are you two having a conflict or something?"

The Hyuuga looked away. "That's none of your business."

"You're right," she agreed, "but I am definitely concerned. The first time I saw her seeing you she also looked… frightened?"

"I don't want to talk about that."

Tenten glared at him. But when Neji said no he meant no, so it was pointless to try to push him. "Fine. Are you hungry?"

Neji didn't answer and she took it as a yes.

They both fell into a deep silence; Tenten sliced the fruit while Neji continued his reading. It wasn't until she handed him the plate that she noticed he wasn't wearing anything to cover his forehead.

He was too busy chewing to realize she was staring at the green mark. She had first discovered it on their very first week as teammates. It's nothing, he told her and Lee when the two asked in curiosity what the mark was for. Neji never took off his forehead protector unless necessary, so she and Lee somehow knew it was a sensitive matter and decided to not ask him about that again.

Now she had a chance to look at the green mark closely. It was strange and she had never seen anything like that before.

"What?"

Tenten blinked and realized he was staring at her defensively. "Um…" her gazeflickered between his forehead and eyes. "I'm just still wondering about… your mark."

His expression didn't change. "You don't need to know."

"But—"

"I hate it. That's why." He averted his eyes to the window, avoiding her face.

Tenten frowned. "You can talk to me, you know."

Hyuuga Neji wasn't someone who would talk openly about his feelings, but they were teammates and she didn't see any problem about them sharing their personal business. She herself had told her team everything—that she was an orphan, she lived alone, she didn't know anything about her clan and all.

Still, she was surprised when he turned his head to look at her. "I will only tell you because you asked me what is going on between me and my cousin," he said. "That way, you won't ask me anything about her anymore."

**III.**

She was standing outside the Hyuuga compound waiting for Neji, when someone emerged from the wooden gates. Tenten turned her head, expecting it was him, but she saw his cousin instead.

Tenten noticed her skin was even paler than usual, indicating she hadn't fully recovered from the injury Neji had caused. The brunette hadn't witnessed the cousins' battle, but she was informed that her teammate had attacked his cousin mercilessly that it needed a few Jounin to stop him from killing her.

When Neji asked her to help him prepare for the finals, Tenten hadn't dared to ask him anything about his cousin. She knew that he hated Hinata, even before other people knew.

She wanted to chide him for what he had done, but if she wanted to be honest she couldn't completely blame him. Not after he told her what he had been through. Not after she learned the ridiculous way of Hyuuga that made him suffer—that time at hospital.

"_That's my fate," Neji said, ending his story. "It's my fate that I am forever a caged bird. I can never escape."_

_Tenten bit her lips. Now she understood why he always seemed bitter about everything. He had his reasons._

"_Now that you know everything," he glanced at her, "I hope you won't ask me anything about my cousin anymore."_

"_It's…" Tenten whispered, remembering how his cousin had looked scared of him, "it's not her fault, you know."_

_Anger flashed through his eyes. "Someday I will have to die for her, just like my father did," he said. "How am I supposed to not hate her?"_

"_That's not necessarily true!" Tenten said, terrified at the thought of Neji dying for his cousin. "You can protect her without having to die! It doesn't have to be the same__—__it doesn't have to be the Branch member dies to protect the Main."_

"_What, do you expect it would be otherwise?" His eyes narrowed. "Do you think in the end, our fate will change and it's Hinata who finally dies to protect me?"_

"_That's not what I mean__—__"_

"_She's weak and pathetic," Neji said, voice full of unspoken venom. "There's no way she could do anything to help me." A bitter, dark chuckle. "And there is no way we can change our fate."_

Still, after hearing all about Hyuuga dark secrets, she felt bad for his cousin. The girl didn't ask for any of that either.

Hinata's eyes widened when she saw her. Tenten quickly smiled to reassure her that she was nothing like Neji, if that was what the Hyuuga heiress thought. "Hello. How are you?"

The younger girl stared at her feet, playing with her two fingers. "I-I'm fine, thank you."

There was an awkward silence before Tenten decided to speak again. "About your battle against Neji… I'm sorry about that. Neji shouldn't have—"

"N-no." Hinata cut her off. "It's alright… Tenten-san. Don't worry."

Tenten took a deep breath. "Neji is stronger than you," she said. "But don't give up just because of that. Just because you're a girl, and you're younger than him, doesn't mean you couldn't become better than you are now."

The pale eyed girl was hesitant at first. "D-do you think so?"

"Of course." The bun haired girl grinned. "I failed too, you know. But I'm not going to stop trying."

Tenten saw Hinata smile widely for the first time. "I'm… not going to give up either."

"That's good."

At that moment, they heard Neji walking towards them and Hinata hurriedly excused herself.

**IV.**

"No one thought Chuunin exam would end like this, right?" Tenten said as they walked behind Hinata, Kiba, Hiashi, and Ko.

They had just come back from rescuing Hinata. Tenten didn't think anything could be more hectic than it already was today. The final Chuunin exam, Naruto who shockingly beat Neji, the whole Otogakure attack, and finally, Hinata's kidnapping.

"By the way, Neji," she said in a lower voice to make sure no one heard her, "we failed Chuunin exam this year, but next time—"

"No, I told you it was alright," he cut her off quietly. "Naruto… he taught me something important."

Her mouth curved in a smile as she recalled their brief conversation in the recovery room. She had been the first to hear him admitting that he had made blind assumptions all this time.

"I'm glad," she whispered. "Let's just train harder after this. Hopefully Lee will recover soon. We'll make it next year."

Neji nodded and abruptly slowed his pace. Hinata and Kiba were chatting happily to notice that the two were left behind, while Hiashi and Ko were far ahead of them. Tenten turned to him and lifted an eyebrow.

"Thank you for helping me…" he paused. "Saving Hinata-sama."

The Weapon Mistress grinned. "Don't mention it." She thought about how his perspective towards his cousin had changed, then asked. "You have forgiven her, haven't you?"

His gaze turned to the Hyuuga heiress who was giggling at what Kiba had just said. "I don't hate her anymore."

**V.**

"Hinata!"

The short haired girl turned around and smiled warmly at her. "Tenten-san."

"I haven't seen Neji today," Tenten said. "He's returned from his mission, hasn't he?"

"Y-yes," Hinata poked her fingers together. "We just trained together this evening and—"

Tenten blinked. "Trained together?"

"A-ano…" Bright red stained pale cheeks. "I-I asked Nii-san to help me train… s-since the others are now training harder and m-my father also helps him…"

Tenten instantly felt some sort of jealousy in her chest.

Neji had always been her training partner for years. When Gai-sensei and Lee were too busy doing ridiculous exercises, he would team up with her. She was the one he had asked for help to prepare for the battle against Naruto. To think that Hinata had just asked Neji to train together, _stealing_ Neji from _her_…

"Tenten-san?"

She smiled at the younger kunoichi nonetheless. "Well, I need to go. See you later, Hinata."

The next morning, when Tenten stretched her limbs under the sheets lazily, someone knocked on her door. Grudgingly she got to her feet—it was too early to receive a guest.

It was the pompous Hyuuga boy. He simply raised an eyebrow, looking at her from head to toe shamelessly and Tenten felt herself go red—she was wearing an oversized T-shirt and shorts, her hair unbound and tangled and she looked like a mess and she was preparing how to respond if he insulted her appearance—

"Let's train."

"What?" she asked in bewilderment.

He crossed his arms impatiently. "Are you going or not?"

"But…" she said, "don't you have training schedule with Hinata and her father?"

"In the evening only."

"But… do you still want to train with me?"

His eyes narrowed. "Are you going to leave me with Gai-sensei and Lee?"

"No, but…" Tenten searched for the right words, "You must train with me in the morning and Hinata in the evening. Wouldn't you be tired?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he said simply and turned around. "I'm not weak. Let's go."

Tenten couldn't stop herself from grinning.

**VI.**

Tenten entered the room the client had given them for this mission and spotted Hinata sitting in a mediation position in the corner. She approached her teammate's cousin quietly and placed two mugs of tea in front of her.

"I didn't know you and Neji shared the same hobby."

Hinata opened her eyes in surprise, blushing and smiling sheepishly. "N-Neji-nii taught me to meditate. He said it would improve our concentration and focus in the battlefields."

"He told me to meditate all the time," Tenten said, remembering the last time she followed his suggestion. She'd ended up falling asleep, earning her his disapproving look. "I don't like it. Sitting still and emptying my mind is just not my thing."

The Hyuuga heiress smiled, wrapping her slender fingers around her warm mug. "It just needs practice."

Tenten shrugged. "How is your training with Neji?"

"I-it's going well, I think," Hinata replied softly. "I'm learning a new jutsu this week."

"I see."

They sipped their tea in silence. Tenten glanced at the younger girl from the corner of her eyes. She had always wanted to ask Hinata something.

She decided to do it now. "Hinata… can I ask something from you?"

Pale eyes similar to Neji's turned to her. "Of course, Tenten-san."

Tenten stared down at her hands. "When you become the clan head later… will you free Neji?"

Hinata didn't respond right away.

"Neji deserves freedom," she continued. "He's my best friend. I… want him to be happy."

_I love him_, but she decided to not say it. Neji would be the first person to hear that from her mouth. Someday.

When she lifted her head, the Hyuuga girl was gazing emptily at her mug. "You don't need to ask for that, Tenten-san."

Tenten chose to keep silent.

"It's always been my goal… to free Neji-nii. This whole situation is unfair for him. He has done so much for me and I want to repay him." She lifted her face and Tenten was shocked to see tears brimming in her pearlescent eyes. "But I keep asking myself this question. Can I really do that?"

She realized at that moment that Hinata was destined to have this burden. It wasn't easy, when you were a woman supposed to be the leader in a prestigious clan dominated by men, when your family had high expectations of you, when you wanted to become stronger but some people didn't believe in you. Yet, Tenten knew Neji believed in Hinata and somehow, that was all that mattered.

She grasped Hinata's hand and squeezed it. "Yes, you can."

The younger kunoichi sniffled. "I can?"

"You can, because Neji is there for you," she said. "Do you think he will let you fight alone?"

Hinata took a moment to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand, lips forming a gentle smile. "Thank you, Tenten-san."

Tenten smiled back. A weight finally lifted off her chest.

**VII.**

Tenten was sure the beginning of winter in Konoha had never felt this cold before.

Almost two months had passed since the fourth war. The village felt different now; everything felt different. Especially since…

She stopped when the gates of Konoha cemetery came in sight.

Tenten inhaled deeply, prayed for strength, and continued walking—only to stop when someone appeared from the gates. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Neji…"

The man finally looked up. Tenten noticed the dark circles below his eyes. The paler-than-usual skin. The lack of brightness in his pearly orbs.

She knew it, she had lost the old Neji.

"Neji… you look tired."

His own voice betrayed him. "I'm fine."

Tenten couldn't bear it. She had never seen him so lost like this before the war. Before that accident.

_It all happened so fast._

_Tenten gasped, not believing what she saw, her hands and feet trembling. Neji was holding Hinata in his arms while Naruto held her hand tightly._

"_Why did you do it?" Neji asked hoarsely, his tone accusing. "Why… why did you save me? Hinata-sama?"_

_A smile curved Hinata's lips even as fresh blood trickled down her chin slowly. "You… have protected me all this time, Neji-nii."_

"_I'm the one who should protect you," he said frantically. "Not the other way around. You shouldn't have__—__you__—__"_

"_It's my turn." Hinata's voice grew softer. "I… want you… to change the Hyuuga clan… for you, and for me."_

_Neji froze._

Tenten drew a deep breath and asked him hesitantly. "Are you going home now?"

"I don't want to go home."

Tenten bit her lips. He obviously was feeling worse than what she thought. "Do you want to go to my place?"

Hours later, after washing the dishes, Tenten brought a mug of tea for Neji in the living room. She suspected he hadn't eaten anything since this morning, judging from how he'd finished all the food she shoved in front of him for dinner earlier. It was a good sign, though, that he had probably felt better now.

Neji accepted the mug as she sat down next to him on the couch.

They both were silent for a long time, until Neji unexpectedly called her. "Tenten."

"Hm?" She turned her head to look at him.

"Do you think I'm weak?"

"Of course no," she said in confusion. "Neji, no one will ever call you weak."

A long pause.

"Would you still think so," he continued, pale eyes still staring at the wall, "if you saw me cry?"

The words alone made her chest hurt. "No." Neji's shoulders shook, and her heart finally broke into pieces because the next second she saw tears streaming down his cheeks. "No, Neji."

She saw him giving in.

He slumped into her arms, crying and sobbing and breaking her heart. Tenten ran her fingers through his long hair, letting him soak her shirt with his tears. She did her best to hold back her own tears—the last thing she wanted was crying in front of Neji and adding his pain. She needed to be strong. She needed to be there for him.

Because Hyuuga Neji wasn't one to break down like this.

It was a long torturous time until his sobs, the most heartrending sound she had ever heard, finally subsided.

When she was sure he was much calmer now, Tenten gently pushed him and stood up. He didn't protest as she took his hand and led him to her bedroom, practically clinging to her for strength.

They still didn't say anything as she pulled him into bed with her and threw blankets around their bodies. His arm wrapped around her waist to silently beg her to snuggle closer as she stroked his hair soothingly.

He didn't fall asleep as she wanted, so she finally whispered. "I'm here, Neji. Don't worry."

She felt him exhale softly before his breathing eventually evened out, giving in to his exhaustion.

Only then Tenten allowed her own tears to escape.

**VIII.**

It was the third winter after the war.

Tenten sighed and turned her head to look at Neji. His breathing had returned to normal, yet he still had an arm draped over his eyes and he hadn't moved since he'd rolled to his side.

He had just showed up at her apartment an hour ago. Three years had passed since that night when Neji cried in front of her for the first time. The morning after, he had kissed her, and their relationship started from there.

Tenten knew Neji too well; he seemed distracted that night. She could easily tell that he was having a serious problem.

Propping herself up on an elbow, she gently removed his arm. "Neji."

He still refused to open his eyes.

"Neji," she repeated, combing his disheveled long hair with her fingers. "What's wrong?"

Pale orbs finally opened and he stared at her. "Sorry."

"What happened?" she asked again. "I know something's troubling you. Come on."

Neji abruptly pulled her towards him until her head rested against his chest. Tenten knew this; he was going to tell her something important that he didn't want to look her in the eyes.

"It's Hinata-sama's birthday tomorrow."

"I remember," she said softly.

A long silence. "They wanted me to become the new clan leader."

In an instant Tenten lifted her head to look at him in disbelief. "They wanted you…?"

He wasn't looking at her, his pearly eyes gazing at the ceilings. "They announced this yesterday."

"That's…" Tenten found herself at a loss for words. The Elders believed in Neji would be one of the best things ever happened to him. "I can't believe it. Neji, congratulations!"

She was taken by surprise when Neji frowned and shot her a sharp look. "What are you talking about? I can't do this."

Her eyes widened.

"It's not my position," he continued, voice low and firm at the same time, "I wasn't born to be the clan leader. I have no right to be."

Dumbfounded, she sat up and gazed down at him. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I'm not the right clan leader. It's supposed to be Hinata-sama. It's not me."

"You…"

Neji sat up to join her, sheets puddled around his waist. "I can't do this."

"Neji—"

"It was always her dream, to become the clan leader to prove herself to the family. She's supposed to do this. It's not me."

"Neji, shut up—"

"I should've died instead of her! I'm not worth—"

There was a loud sound as Tenten slapped his face hard.

He stared at her furiously, hand on his cheek. Tenten didn't even care that she had just hurt him.

"What—"

"Shut up, Neji!" she yelled at him, trembling with rage. "What the hell are you thinking? Why do you keep blaming yourself for Hinata's death?"

He didn't say anything, though his own anger slowly faded from his eyes.

"You're not just disappointing me, you're disappointing her as well and it is _worse_. Hinata has given her life for you, it was her decision, because she trusted you! Don't you remember what she said? She wanted you to change the Hyuuga clan for you and for her! Dammit, Neji, I didn't think you would forget that!"

Tenten clenched her fingers around the fabric of her sheets. "You know what, Neji? Hinata changed something in Hyuuga clan. She changed the _Branch will have to die for Main_ tradition. She proved Naruto's words for you—that you could change your fate. She changed it, Neji, and it's your task to continue everything!"

Unreadable emotions began to fill his eyes.

"Please, Neji," she said in a softer tone after regaining her breath. "I'm an outsider who doesn't know much about both Hyuuga clan and Hinata. I'm in no position to voice out my opinions. But…" she bravely reached out to stroke his jaw. "But I've known you for years and I know you can do this. I know Hinata trusted Hyuuga clan in your hands. Don't disappoint her. Don't waste your time regretting the past and mourning over her. If you do nothing for the clan, Neji, I swear Hinata's death was meaningless."

His voice was hoarse. "Can I really do this?"

Tenten remembered Hinata had once asked her the same question. She decided to give him the very same answer. "Yes, you can."

She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. "It's her birthday tomorrow," she said, "and your agreement to become the clan leader would be the best gift you could give her. Imagine how happy she would be watching the new Hyuuga clan from above."

A few seconds passed until she heard him asking quietly. "Will you help me?"

Tenten knew from his tone that the confidence he had always possessed in his previous years was finally back. The old Neji had finally returned, and she would gladly welcome him back.

She couldn't help but smile. "You don't need to ask."

He said nothing and pulled her down with him, returning to their comfortable position.

"Neji?"

"Hn."

She pressed a tender kiss to his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Tenten felt him brush his lips against the top of her head. "It's okay."

**IX.**

Tenten had always loved summer.

She was visiting Hinata with her husband and daughter. The sky was bright, everything was warm, and the small hand she was holding was somehow comforting.

Her daughter let go of her hand and knelt down in front of the grave before carefully placing down the fresh sunflowers she brought.

"Father," she called softly, "will Aunt be pleased?"

Tenten glanced at her husband, not missing how his pearly orbs softened and the corner of his lips turned upwards.

"Of course," he answered. "She always liked sunflowers."

"I like sunflowers too." The five year old tapped the yellow petals gently with her small finger. "They're beautiful."

"Just like you." Neji joined the young girl and pressed a light kiss to her curse seal-free forehead similar to his—he had stopped wearing any cloth around his forehead since long ago. "And your aunt."

The little girl frowned, Hyuuga eyes narrowing. "Mother, too! Don't forget Mother!"

Tenten crouched down beside their daughter and shook her head as Neji chuckled. "He's just like that, Hotaru," she said, her tone fond nonetheless.

Neji wrapped an arm around their daughter's small waist, pulling her close to his side. "You, your aunt, and your mother. You three are the most important women in my life."

"Tell me about Aunt Hinata again, Father," Hotaru said, face brightening. "Please."

Neji had probably told her every single story he could tell about Hinata, but Hotaru had always loved listening to anything about her aunt.

"Your aunt," Neji finally replied, "without her, you wouldn't have been free."

"Free?"

"She saved everyone in Hyuuga clan. I only continued her dreams." He glanced at the little girl. "It's because of her that we all are free now. Like birds."

"Like birds," Hotaru nodded, smiling at her father. "I love birds too."

"You just love everything," Tenten laughed and stroked her daughter's head. "You're just like Aunt Hinata. She was a very nice person. She loved everything."

The Hyuuga girl smiled at her. The light pink that adorned her cheeks and something in those soft pale eyes reminded Tenten of that cute, shy girl in a cream jacket she'd met one winter years ago. "Really, Mother?"

Tenten caught Neji's eyes and nodded, smiling at their child. "Really."

A comfortable silence followed as the three of them watched the sunflowers swaying slightly in the gentle summer breeze.

Tenten finally stood up, pulling her daughter up with her. "Let's go," she said. "Your father has to lead a clan meeting in an hour."

Neji needed a few seconds before he rose to his feet as well, eyes still gazing at the name written on the stone. "Come on."

As Hotaru and Neji chatted contentedly on their way home, Tenten looked up at the clear sky and smiled. She could see a few birds flying, and instead of thinking of Neji, she remembered Hinata.

She believed Hinata was smiling at them now.

* * *

**(A/N):** In my post-war headcanon no one is dead, but that was how I imagine Neji would be if Hinata were to die to protect him in the war. He would work hard to change the Hyuuga clan to make her happy in the heaven.

Yeah.

Also sorry for late update; I was (I still am) going through a really hard time. I posted a new four-part story though, check out _ANBU_ (gotta change the lame title soon) for more NejiTen feels!


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